Coffee Wars?

Remember the cola wars of the 1960's? Every shopping center had a booth where you could sample Coke and Pepsi and decide which was best. Years after the cola wars began, there's no answer to the question, which drink is best, Coke or Pepsi? Everyone has their favorites. I guess it's the same with coffee.

I recently was at Starbucks and noticed they are having a taste test from October 2-5. I went home to check it out online, and could find no mention of it. I assume it's a sampling of their many varieties of coffee, not a comparison to other coffee houses like Peet's and Coffee Bean, although that would be a great idea. Actually, last night I saw a commercial for this promotion. They are introducing individual INSTANT coffee drinks, so that's what you'll be sampling if you go to Starbucks this weekend. This is not a new concept, as instant coffee has been around forever, but I'll be anxious to taste it and see if it's any good.

As with the colas, everyone seems to have their favorites, mine being Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. I've been frequenting them for over 35 years. Did you know that they invented the iced blended drink years ago? (Starbucks calls it a Frapuccino, but Coffee Bean was selling this drink in the 1970's). But I digress. The coffee at Coffee Bean is good and strong, but not bitter. Starbucks is good too, but their regular blend is a bit weaker. Peet's and Seattle's Best also have excellent coffee, as do many of the fast food restaurants, most notably McDonald's and Dunkin Donuts. These, however, do not compare to the coffee houses in either regular coffee or specialty drinks.

According to a coffee history legend, an Arabian shepherd named Kaldi found his goats dancing joyously around a drak green leafed shrub with bright red cherries in the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. Kaldi soon determined that it was the bright red cherries on the shrub that were causing the peculiar euphoria and after trying the chrries himself, he learned of their powerful effect. This sounds very good, but is in fact false. The coffee bean began on the plateaus of central Ethiopia and somehow were brought to Yemen where it has been cultivated since the 6th century. Upon introduction of the first coffee houses in Cairo and Mecca coffee became a passion rather than a stimulant.

Our passion for coffee has not diminished through the years. Quite the opposite. On every corner of every city throughout the world, you're likely to find a coffee house. The great marketing of companies like Starbucks and McDonald's have showed us that we can't live without coffee. And going to a coffee house to drink coffee and work has become a lifestyle for many, both old and young. I will often make coffee at home, but much prefer to go out for my coffee. It just tastes so much better!