A Good Cup of Coffee

                             A Good Cup of Coffee

       We read the announcement, for a “Coffee Tasting,” in our Spring Run online bulletin. Josh Petrovsky, our Food and Beverage Manager, wanted his consumers to weigh in on the type of coffee we preferred.  It sounded interesting, so we thought we would give it a try. Like most Americans, we consume a small ocean of coffee in our lifetimes. How different could these blends be? It turns out, quite a lot.

        But then, we remembered all of the times, while we were on the road, that we had swilled concoctions that were closer to burnt mud than coffee. At other places, the stuff was a weak, brown liquid that tasted awful. This event could prove interesting.

         The coffee company representative, from “Stan’s” a small distributor in nearby Lehigh Acres, had set up four pots of coffee in a blind taste test. The idea was to sip an ounce or so of each brew and then pour any untasted residue back into a bucket. This was becoming like a wine tasting party.

         I don’t know what each of the blends was composed of, but they did each have a distinct flavor and a discernible after taste. As veteran consumers of Tim Horton’s magic elixir, we would be hard to impress. In the process, the Stan’s rep gave us an interesting education of the types of beans used, which one holds more caffeine and how the decaf can be either sun-roasted or chemically treated. He identified two types of beans, the names of which I have already forgotten. One variety grows on the higher branches of coffee plants, the other is from the lower branches. The beans from the lower branches are more caffeine laden and cheaper. It is those rascals that you taste and feel in the brews that advertise a “morning jolt” in retail stores.

       He also informed us that coffee doesn’t store well. Like a bottle of wine, it begins to degrade after being stored for long time, even if it is frozen. The more the gentleman got into his explanation, the more it sounded like the assemblage, processing and sale of a fine wine. Who knew that the stuff that we swill by the gallon, could have such a fine pedigree? A small group of participants seemed to lean heavily towards one of the flavors. It later turned out that this particular blend was grown from wholly Columbian beans. 

      It was a fun exercise. In that all of it was of the “high test” variety, I could already feel a small buzz tickling my brain. With good coffee, you have to watch your consumption level just as you do with that of pure alcohol. Otherwise, in both cases, you will begin chatting like a magpie, much to the consternation of those around you.

      The next time I order up a cup of Joe, I will remember and think about the education this young man had given us. Where were the beans grown? What does the after taste mean? And more particularly, I will value those proprietors who purchase the best beans for their customers. I will return often to that establishment to enjoy their morning elixir.

                                             -30-

                                        (538 words)

                                  Joseph Xavier Martin