By: Greg from Boston, Massachusetts
I was 12 years old, and woke up in a damp and moldy tent, deep in the forest. A bright sun was rising, but the night had been cold and rainy. There was already a wood fire burning, and breakfast being prepared. The Scoutmaster had also put a pot of coffee on the fire to brew. I had never smelled coffee before; my family drank either tea or Postum. So I decided to try it. I was immediately struck by the rich flavors; it even seemed to smell like the soil all around me. Fortunately, I didn’t drink enough to get a “buzz”. Thus started my coffee journey.
Of course, instant coffee was a time-efficient compromise during college, with occasional heavy use during exams. As time moved on, my wife and I started using a drip coffee maker, and our preferred ground coffee was Kenyan AA. As I got older, my tastes became bolder. We began grinding, and bought beans from a number of online outlets. Sumatran coffee became the choice, both for its earthy flavors and its low acidity. Jamaica, India, and Papua New Guinea were other sources. I also traveled down the road of roast intensity, and arrived at French and Turkish roasts.
What is it about coffee? It seems both wild and sophisticated. For me, it evokes the thrill of waking up in a forest, as well as the chill of reading and re-ordering for hours in a great coffee cafe. Coffee is embedded in the memory of life events. I remember restaurants that have good coffee, and those that don’t. I remember coffee served after weddings, and after funerals. And pursuing coffee is an adventure, since there are a seemingly endless variety of offerings from dedicated, scrappy, hardworking, and even visionary roasters. So the journey continues.
