Coffee Talk

I don't drink coffee. Or rather, I don't drink the hard stuff, straight up. I drink "cafe mochas" and "lattes" and "frappachinos." I often go to coffee shops or bookstore cafes for a tall mug of green tea or chai.

I did try drinking coffee, mostly because of the influence of The Gilmore Girls, and because I felt I was being—dare I say it—a smidge weak-willed. If I want my caffeine, shouldn't I just go and grab it? Take it black and steaming and straight from the bean, instead of with all of the fripperies and whipped toppings?

It didn't work out. Every time I took a sip I made that face. The scrunchy this-tastes-absolutely-wretched face. The face I used to make when I wasn't used to beer, and ended up taking so long to drink it that it was warm, which didn't help things much. This face, while mildly amusing at college parties (or hilarious, depending on the lateness of the hour), is seriously embarrassing in a coffee shop surrounded by connoisseurs.

So now that I've accepted I'm solely a frou-frou coffee drinker, I get jibed occasionally about always asking people to "meet for coffee." Personally, I don't understand why other people insist on taking this phrase literally. If you say you'll meet for coffee, does that mean that you have no other beverage options? If they are out of coffee, do you turn on your heel and head home?

I think that, although I get teased about saying "let's meet for coffee," it would be even stranger and more affected if I started saying "Let's meet for chai." Or "Shall we discuss over a mug of green tea with jasmine?" Or "Let's imbibe a caffeinated beverage together." Out of these options, I think "let's meet for coffee" is still the best bet, even if I technically order a tall nonfat mocha, no whip.