Coffee

Those of you that know me will know that I'm not a morning person. If you don't, I suggest you take someone's word for it; it's not a pretty sight. For me mornings are something to be endured rather than enjoyed. There is one thing however that is guaranteed to return me to the land of the living, that will make me at least vaguely tolerant of other human beings (and tolerable to - edit by long-suffering girlfriend). A magical elixir of life. Coffee!

Coffee is my saviour. Being a bit of a creature of habit, it's enhanced further by having it in my favourite James Bond mug. I have been known to charge round the kitchen like an angry rhinoceros until I find it. However back to coffee; in my opinion it's living proof that aromatherapy can work. The smell is just about enough to lift me out of my post-sleep haze. The taste is even better. It elicits a semi-Pavlovian response that doesn't quite cheer me up but it does put a slightly less severe grimace on my face!

One of the best presents I've ever had was a coffee percolator.. Better still it has a built in timer meaning that I can set it up in the evening and have fresh coffee waiting for me first things in the morning. An insulated coffee mug is also a bit of a must. It guarantees a steady supply of decent coffee until about 11 in the morning. Plenty of time to wake up and become human.

However there is a slight problem in this general morning act of caffeine worship. I am a wee bit of a caffeine snob. Not to the point that I will drink Jamaican Blue Mountain and nothing else (just as well given it's only marginally less expensive than gold) but I do struggle with instant. I'm also not the biggest fan of Barista-style coffee which makes getting a coffee on the move a bit of a pain. Ground coffee brewed in a percolator or French press is my favourite way of getting my fix. This will no doubt be scorned by purists as I would scorn someone who puts coke in a fine whisky but what's the point in rules if they can't be broken eh?

There is however one part of the coffee world that leaves me cold (metaphorically at least). Something which comes below Barista coffee and the menus that require a PhD in conversational Italian to understand. Worse than the acrid disappointment that is a cup of instant. It is... decaf. I really, REALLY struggle to see the point. Admittedly, part of the reason I drink coffee is for the caffeine hit but I also love the flavour too and decaf just doesn't taste as good. It tries to but it doesn't quite succeed. The whole experience is similar to drinking diet soft drinks or non-alcoholic beer. There is all of the anticipation of the main performance but it just doesn't quite come up to par.

So with that thought I will leave you to a morning beverage.

Have a good week.

TFB