…there is something uniquely satisfying about a cup of fresh coffee enjoyed just after dawn in a locally owned shop.

Take It From A Snob—You Should Drink Coffee Fresh

Drink Coffee Fresh
Ocrakoke Coffee at Cape Hatteras. Yes, I bought a mug. (Photo by Author)

# 14 on my 99 Life Tips–A List is: Drink coffee fresh. Preferably within 20 minutes after brewing. A brewmaster once told me that after 20 minutes, coffee’s chemistry changes, turning it into something else. As an addendum to this tip: don’t serve old coffee to a guest in your home. Make a fresh pot, or offer them something else.

I suppose I should have started this tip with the simpler imperative, “Drink coffee.” But then I’d be forced to make an exception for my girlfriend who in all other ways seems remarkably well-balanced and stable, but who does not drink coffee, so I’m certain there is some latent problem yet to be revealed.

I jest. But not about drinking coffee fresh. And not about making it fresh for company.

My tip stands on its own with sufficient explanation. You can google the details if you doubt the veracity. Here is a good site with decent information for the home barista.

One addendum: Buy whole beans, store them properly in an air-tight opaque container and grind them fresh with a burr grinder (not a blade grinder). I will be adding a story about this.

Is it more trouble to drink coffee fresh? Yes. Is it worth it? Yes. Am I a coffee snob? Yes.

Drink Coffee Fresh
Beachie Bean’s Coffee Shop in NSB, FL (Photo by Author)

To sample the local pace, support locally owned coffee shops

While on the topic, allow me to plug the idea of finding good local coffee shops to support whenever you travel. I know the ubiquity of large chains like Starbucks make them easier to find for their numbers, but there is something uniquely satisfying about a cup of fresh coffee enjoyed just after dawn in a locally owned shop. 

Part of the allure is that traveling well, and by that I mean getting the most of the experience, involves at least sampling the local pace of life, if not outright melding into it. Where better to sample the local pace than at a locally owned, locally supported coffee shop?

Just remember to drink coffee fresh. You’re welcome. Oh, and never use non-dairy creamers and continue to call yourself a coffee drinker. I’m not sure what that chemically processed stuff is. So, that’s it. You’re doubly welcome.

Drink Coffee Fresh
This coffee shop on the NC Outer Banks even has a lending library. How cool is that? (Photo by Author)

PS- I’m not a coffee shop owner, just an opinionated coffee lover who happens to be right about this. Enjoy! 😉

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