When I teach coffee at the university or on our Specialty Coffee Workshops (or whenever I drink coffee anywhere), one of the questions people ask me most often is: Should I drink my coffee black?
Some people get a bit defensive when they ask this question. They ask it, and then I see them get a little tense. They’re wary of the answer. They shift their eyes away from mine, nervously tap their fingers on the table, or dream longingly of whipped cream-topped drinks.
(Of course, their reaction depends on their preferences. If they already drink black coffee, they feel proud. In their minds, they’re doing the right thing – they’re not adulterating their brew).
A few days ago, a woman on a workshop confessed to drinking her coffee with caramel syrup, whipped cream, and chocolate sprinkles. I say “confessed” because she said it in a shameful voice, as if she was committing a coffee sin.
What do you think? Should coffee be consumed black, with no sugar? Or should a person feel free to add whatever ingredients they want to coffee?
Should you drink coffee black?
As I mentioned, people can get tense while they wait for my answer. But my answer generally surprises them. Because…
People should drink their coffee the way they like it.
As coffee experts working in the coffee industry, who are we to judge?
After all, what we choose to eat and drink is one of the most personal decisions we make. People have different tastes, and no one should make a person feel bad about their choices.
However…
(you knew there was a however, didn’t you?)
However, there is something to take into account.
The quality of the coffee you’re consuming.
How can quality affect your choice?
To fully understand the quality issue, let’s compare this to something else.
Let’s imagine someone gives you an extremely expensive gift – let’s say the most expensive rum that exists, or an award-winning Scotch whisky, or a bottle of wine from the most exclusive vineyard in France.
How would you serve that rum, whisky or wine?
Would you serve yourself a shot of insanely expensive rum and then throw in some Coca-Cola?
Would you pour yourself some award-winning Scotch and then add some Sprite or Mountain Dew to it?
Would you take that exclusive wine and add fruit and sugar and call it a sangria?
Probably not. Those bottles are expensive. Those drinks are created using the best ingredients and careful processes to get those incredible results.
You’d want to enjoy the special qualities of the product alone, with nothing to compete with them or cover them up. No adultering.
Pure, special, unique, outstanding, memorable.
What about high-quality coffee?
Have you ever had a coffee that pure, special, unique, outstanding, and memorable?
Perhaps not. But those coffees are out there. And when you find one, please do not put whipped cream in it. Save the cream and syrup for your hot fudge sundae.
Why?
In order to detect the flavor nuances and body of specialty coffees, try drinking the coffee black, without sugar or milk.
Why would I tell you to do that?
Coffee farmers have worked hard to produce these specialty coffees. They have carefully selected the type of coffee plant for their farm. They took care of the soil, protected the plants from pests, and saw the cherries through to ripeness.
They harvested the coffee with best practices. They processed it with attention to every detail and transported it with care so that you get the best product possible.
Then, expert coffee roasters painstakingly considered the best way to roast each batch.
Coffee shop owners ensured that the coffee you drink is fresh. And the barista’s goal is to prepare the best brew for you.
We suggest you don’t cover over all that hard work and mask the flavors inherent in those specialty coffees. Don’t add additional ingredients.
So taste the coffee bare and beautiful, just as the coffee farmer and roaster intended. Learn from the baristas about the flavors you can expect, and discover your own.
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with drinking a cappuccino, latte, macchiato or other coffee-and-milk combination. But if you truly want to detect the flavors in specialty coffee, considering trying it solo.
And if you’re drinking low-quality coffee?
Consider upgrading your coffee purchases. If you can’t…well, you may need to cover over the bitterness, lack of sweetness, and unpleasant flavor in that coffee with sugar, milk, whipped cream, and syrup.
The fascinating world of Colombian coffee
We love Colombian coffee! But you must be asking yourself:
- What makes Colombian coffee so good?
- Is coffee important to Colombians?
- How do Colombians drink coffee?
- Where can I drink the best Colombian coffee?
- Where is Colombian coffee grown around the country?
- How can you learn to taste coffee like a professional?
We have fun, dynamic coffee workshops (both in-person and virtual) as well as online coffee courses. You will love learning about coffee with us!
