A historic and meaningful beverage
Since my early high school years, I officially became a coffee drinker. At a young age, drinking coffee was a sort of escape – a way of travelling forward through adulthood. On my morning walks to school, I would be accompanied by my Wu-Tang and Bob Dylan-filled playlists on my MP3 player, and a cup of coffee – ready and primed to tackle the oncoming day.
For me, coffee has become a much more sentimental component of my life than I ever intended. I am constantly asked how much coffee I drink, (two to three cups is not bad in my books), and I am often greeted with concern or confusion.
Coffee is such a versatile beverage it is no wonder why people consume it heavily worldwide. With everything from iced coffee, cappuccino, espresso, and Turkish coffee, there is a unique type of coffee for everyone.
For many, coffee is merely seen as a vehicle for caffeine – a way to wake up in the mornings or stay awake at night. This is where I have to strongly disagree. Coffee is so much more than just a caffeine dose. Coffee has a history – it commands nostalgia and prompts memories of all those who have indulged before us.
From the consistently debated origin story of coffee consumption beginning in the Ethiopian highlands, to the prominence of the beverage in London coffeehouses during the mid-17th century, the tremendous historical influence of coffee cannot be ignored. Instead, it should be recognized and celebrated with every cup.
Not only can coffee remind you of the past, but it can also function as a way to have meaningful conversation. Going out for a coffee with my friends has been a crucial part of my life – whether I was aware of it or not, a lot of great moments and memories happen when in the presence of coffee. In this sense, coffee becomes an everyday aspect of your life – something as common as a watch – a measurement of time and memory.
As T.S Eliot famously penned in The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, coffee becomes a way to relate to the exterior world.
“For I have known them all already, known them all:/ Have known the evening, morning, afternoons/ I have measure out my life with coffee spoons.”
Eliot’s poignant lines should resonate with coffee drinkers everywhere. How many cups of coffee have you had in your lifetime? Have you been aware of the amount of time it takes to drink one cup, and the fleeting moments surrounding you as you drink? Just as quickly as coffee can create a moment, it can also take them away. Coffee is a gift – whether you perceive it being more than just a caffeine fix is entirely up to you.
The lines Eliot wrote in his famous poem signal a crucial move in this unique and coffee-driven editorial. Coffee is no longer about the actual substance of the beverage, or which type of roast and brew you prefer, but a plethora of meaning arises out of the act of drinking coffee itself. The environment you inhabit, the company you share, and your state of mind all contribute to the enjoyment of coffee much more than the flavour of the drink.
There is nothing like the sound of an espresso brewing. The aromatic scent fills the air as you watch the espresso drip into the small, heated, porcelain cup. Or the whirring sound of a coffee grinder chopping up your roast of choice, followed by the deep, therapeutic plunge of the French press – almost as if the contraption is fighting against you. In the end, coffee always wins.
My brother, who recently came back from a volunteer trip in Costa Rica, brought back two fresh packs of roasted coffee beans. I was ecstatic. Once he handed the coffee to me, I carefully opened the package and immediately got hit by unforgettable scent. It was at that moment when I stopped and began to think about the true significance coffee has had in my life. Each cup is essentially a story – we just usually aren’t reading it. Needless to say, the coffee was absolutely delicious. However, I ended up enjoying the story behind the coffee and the time spent drinking it more than the drink itself.
Gertrude Stein, a famous American novelist and poet, sums up my sentiments about coffee in a precise and enduring way:
“Coffee is real good when you drink it, it gives you time to think. It’s a lot more than just a drink; it’s something happening. Not as in hip, but like an event, a place to be, but not like a location, but like somewhere within yourself. It gives you time, but not actual hours or minutes, but a chance to be, like be yourself, and have a second cup.”
Photo by Dana Bellamy/The Ontarion