Coffee, the anti-drug

About a year ago, I wrote a post about how I don’t understand coffee. I vey much prefer tea, and still do, but it’s funny what happens over the course of a year. It’s funny how quickly you can change – or how fast things change around you. I had written about my early university days of drinking instant coffee, because the taste was quite comforting.

A year of Starbucks, Gloria Jeans and other miscellaneous hipster coffee shops later: I now know what my relationship with coffee is.

I’ve never had much more than your “crappuccino” or “crapper”, that is, your instant coffee powder and water. After disliking commercial bubble tea and the sweetness of fruit tea and boba, as well as tea with any kind of topping, I moved on to other beverage stands and thus found my way to Starbucks and Gloria Jeans. I had not really liked the taste of an espresso, but I soon found about other ways coffee could be made. I liked my coffee with just a hint of milk, and after discovering my very bad reactions to lactose I opted for soy milk. Other days I liked my coffee with a lot of milk, or I preferred a mocha.

Many people can’t get by without their coffee in the morning, but I can go without. I realised that I don’t need coffee to wake me up. It doesn’t get me going in the morning, and I don’t feel any different when I have it. What I do notice, though, is that coffee cheers me up. If I am in a bad mood, anyone can buy me a soy macchiato and I will probably cheer up. The other thing is, I don’t always like to buy standard coffees. I like to buy the Christmas editions and the flavoured specialties.

As I have told people for at least the past few months, coffee for me is a treat and a beverage; and not a wake-me-up, but a pick-me-up.

Comments on this post

I’m sipping my dark roast coffee with almond milk as I read this entry of yours and comment. :P I enjoy tea and coffee equally. My boyfriend on the other hand cannot go a day without at least two-three cups of coffee.

And Starbucks and Gloria Jean coffee, to me, are terrible. I prefer local coffee shops, especially those that roast their own beans. (Granted, those are rare to find, but luckily, my hometown has a coffee shop that roasts their own beans that are actually organic!)

I definitely use coffee as a treat. Same with tea. They’re both awesome pick me ups.

The only coffee I like is latte, but I recently discovered that caffeine and I don’t get along and so I’ve started drinking decaf. But like you I’ve never felt like I needed coffee or tea to get me started in a morning. It is definitely more about the happiness that a hot drink brings.

I also like trying Christmas flavours. My favourite coffee shop was selling a sticky toffee latte over the Christmas period and I’m seriously going to miss it.

I’m a tea and coffee type of person myself. I love them both, though I can definitely get by without having to drink coffee to wake me up in the mornings unlike some people I know.

I was actually told by a doctor that drinking two cups of coffee a day is good for you. Anymore then that, you’re asking for it. But it’s up to you if you want holes in your stomach.

Like how you described it as a pick-me-up as opposed to a wake-me-up. I drink coffee sparingly due to its stimulant effects. I’m not sure if this has something to do with my exercise habit, which is everyday. I think the post-workout euphoria gives me enough stimulant for the day that any additional dose causes me that sugar high. That’s just my assumption. This is why I order a small amount and drink slowly. Besides, I do like the flavor, which [like for you] makes coffee a good treat. (H)

I have never really been that into coffee, but than I am not in an area where you can get the ‘good kind’ easily.

I think it’s good to use it as a treat, because it should be. Especially the prices sometimes. X_X

Everybody may have thought that coffee is the wake me up drug. Actually no. Based on my personal experiences with coffee, I even tend to get a tad bit sleepier if I consume coffee. Coffee actually gives me energy just like you. It’s soothes the feeling of being irritated, annoyed, and the like. Actually, in my place here in the Philippines, we have a very heavy/strong blend called “barako” which literally translates to english word tough or strong. You can look up to google for that! ;)

I love both coffee and tea, but I’m probably more of a coffee person than anything :) I love espresso-based coffee like lattes. I’m not very lactose tolerant, either, but my stomach usually can handle it mixed with coffee, strangely enough! I love coffees that have a strong flavour because then I can drink it without any sweetener :)

And like you, caffeine has no effect on me. I can drink coffee at like 8:00pm and still fall asleep by 9:00 or 10:00pm. In a way I’m glad it has no effect on me, but on days when I need to wake up and be all energised, I sure wish it’d work!

oh my gloria jeans. there’s no more gloria jeans here and it’s all because of starbucks – this guy basically kicked the others except for coffee bean O_O

anyway, i never knew what made me love caffeine so much. i can’t remember the trigger anymore. i used to go to starbucks for their frappuccinos and now, just hearing the word frappuccino makes me cringe as they are more of a sugary feast than coffee. plus, drinking fraps make me sleepy afterwards. and when i grew away from fraps, i am now an addict for hand brewed coffee, like caffe latte or cappuccino. the stronger the shot (and the more bitter it is), the better. it’s like a drug to keep me functioning /snort i used to drink instant coffee too but after having my allowance robbed by starbucks, instant coffee doesn’t work on me anymore; they caused me to fall asleep in class instead of stimulating my brain. epic fail. ironically, sometimes starbucks does that too perhaps because truth is, i lack proper sleep? /bash

coffee and milk is a perfect duo, at least for me. i never used creamer in my coffee and people keep asking me WHY, if i’m insane or i’m actually a grandpa in disguise. sadly, i don’t have a coffee machine at home so i can never get the foam like how i love it. sigh.
you remind me of my mom! she’s an avid fan of mocha. she can’t stand my choice of coffee drinks, said they’re disgusting because they taste bitter haha

though i’m an addict for coffee, i can not have my coffee in the morning. heck, i did go coffee-free for a month last time! still, when there’s a need for a “stimulant”, i’m like “yikes i need my venti triple shot now” 😰
it’s such a dangerous addiction so i had to have my grounded beans at home else i’d go poor pfft

on the contrary, the special edition drinks from s’bucks are always sugar high and no matter how hard the barista tried to make me try one, i always reject. i guess i see coffee as something my bloodstream needs…bad news yeah since it helps boost my anxiety but ugh, i can’t stay away from it. it’s definitely a wake-me up for me (though sometimes they make me feel sleepy too)