Greg Proffit Writing

Tag: travel

  • Take It From A Snob—You Should Drink Coffee Fresh

    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! 😉

  • New Smyrna Beach, FL–You’d Hate It, Please Don’t Go!

    New Smyrna Beach - Flagler Ave
    Flagler Ave entrance to beach access for vehicles. That building on the left is Breakers, a great beach bar/restaurant that is home to some of the best burgers anywhere. (Photo by author)

    New Smyrna Beach, Florida is a laid back beach town located on the Atlantic Coast about a half hours drive south of Daytona Beach down I-95. I’ve been visiting there for 30 years. To my immense delight, it has remained virtually unchanged in terms of its laconic pace and its unpretentious charm.

    The beach itself is composed of sand so fluffy and soft it has the consistency of cake flour, and yet at the water is so densely compact that you can drive on it. This is what many of the visitors to NSB do, they purchase a pass and drive onto the beach where they can park and enjoy some of the best surf on the East Coast.

    On the other hand, NSB is the self-proclaimed shark bite capital of the US. In fact, some of the art galleries that line Flagler Avenue, the main drag, sport the unofficial city slogan:

    “New Smyrna Beach, 

    A little drinking town with a Shark problem.”

    The week before our visit, 2 individuals were bit in knee deep water. Thankfully, we didn’t encounter any Dangerous Marine Life – The warning often displayed by the life guard flags and signs on the beach.

    The town has numerous bars, restaurants, gift shops, and beachwear boutiques. Several of the restaurants are gourmet quality. The three-quarter mile Flagler Avenue is lined on both sides with every possible venue that makes for a fantastic vacation. 

    The town doesn’t have an arcade, or a Ferris wheel, or big flashy dance clubs, or even any topless bars. So, it’s way too slow and boring for anyone to really like. You can head north and go to Daytona for that. Or I’m sure Myrtle Beach in South Carolina would love to have you.

    It’s amazing that the town has remained so true to it’s essence for the 30 years I’ve been going. It is what I think of when I think of the beach. But I’m pretty sure you’d hate it, so please stay away and leave it just the way it is.