20 Things I’m Thankful For #4 – Coffee

Oh, man. Coffee. You knew this was coming.

I never drank much coffee until college. And then, it was crap like Denny’s. Strictly caffeine injection so I could “cram” for tests. Yeah, that didn’t work (the coffee or the cramming).

Somewhere along the way I started drinking better coffee, but still needed to “doctor” it up with a bit of cream and sugar. Two things moved me to switch to drinking it black. First, my father-in-law is a big-time coffee drinker. Bold and black. Starbucks, mostly. Hanging out with him more led to better coffee and finding what I liked without having to add anything. Second, I was eliminating unnecessary sugar from my diet.

Then I went to Blue Bottle when I was at DevLearn and observed some bad ass techniques for creating a tasty hot beverage. Around the same time I was hanging out with too many people who were starting to geek out about coffee (Mrs. Rimmer, Mr. Silvers, Mr. Early). Then I bought an AeroPress and a Chemex.

I don’t roast my own beans or buy artisan coffee, weigh my grounds, or even grind my own very often. But I do know flavors and styles and what I like and don’t like (no citrus, please).

Coffee is how I start my day. Coffee keeps me going. Not so much the caffeine as the process. 4–5 times a day I get up, turn on the kettle, clean out the AeroPress, and get to work creating a nice strong cup o’ joe. I enjoy the process. It’s a nice break and the results are consumable.

Like music, it’s a reason to gather with others and create something, have a conversation, or just sit and ponder life.

So, thank you, coffee.

This is #4 in my 20 Things I’m Thankful For Series