Like I said, Coffee

     I have this addiction to all things coffee.  Not only do I need the caffeine to start my day, as a lot of people do, it carries another quality with it.  There's an intriguing aspect to the bean, everything from where they originate to the various ways they're utilized.  I've spent time in countless numbers of coffee shops just studying their operation and getting ideas for what works the best.  Some shops are just a hole, with tables, chairs, a counter, the essential equipment and nothing else.  While other, "high-end" coffee shops are popping up all over the place that are starting to look more like dance clubs than a coffee bar, but I still enjoy the more relaxed, peaceful location.  That's the type of atmosphere that I'm looking for when we start our own coffee business.
     I've spent the last several years studying coffee because of this hopeful future business.  Learning the origins, the varying farms, the care those farmers give in roasting (if they roast them at all), the charities they support, and most importantly, the numerous ways the beans are brewed and enjoyed.  I started out drinking the heavy sugared coffee drinks that barely tasted like coffee back in the day.  I just thought that black coffee had such a bitter flavor that drinking something with vanilla and caramel flavoring would be my only option.  As is also true with wine, I needed to build my palette and expand on my choices.  I think that the number one reason why people are turned off by coffee, is due to the heightened levels of acidity in most cups that are sold these days.  Believe me, there are so many better options out there than what's offered by the major corporations.
     Even your non-coffee drinkers typically have a connection with coffee.  It may just be the aroma that they enjoy, or that smell conjures up past memories that have a special meaning.  One typical phrase that I hear is, "I love the smell of coffee, I just can't stand the taste".  There's nothing wrong with that.  The aroma that comes from a properly cared for and brewed bean can be stimulating to the senses, in many ways.  I do believe that the average person has not enjoyed a proper cup of coffee.  A lot of commercial brands sell coffee more for the profit than the quality.  These companies commonly fill their coffee bags with fillers, or overroasted beans.  Even though overroasted beans have a bitter taste to them, their cheap.  No one else is going to buy them so why not add them to the rest of the beans so they can continue to make more and more money.
     As mentioned before, I have a feeling that coffee will be a topic that I visit frequently, so we'll dig more into the expanding world of coffee further.