Coffee. Is sensual.

So usually I use this blog to spew thoughts and opinions I am passionate about. That's because, understandably and justifiably, people don't necessarily want to hear me bitch and moan about my strong views on factory farming, war and religion. Totally understandable. But the truth is, I am FULL of these opinions and I am constantly bursting to get them out. So, dear readers, bare with me, if you choose.

Today, I want to talk about coffee. Coffee. My one and only vice... well, that may not be exactly true... however...

I love coffee.

Coffee, to me is the equivalent of butterbeer. The effects of warm, pure, raw comfort are the same. Its sensual qualities are more than just taste. Coffee, with its rich history, runs deeper than momentary satisfaction. A drink's effects can last one all day.

Coffee is said to have been discovered in the early ninth century. However, it wasn't documented or highly popular until around the fifteenth century. That's not to say it wasn't being used before that. Since the dawn of time (another embellishment), coffee has been used in societies as a ritual in both religious, sociological and personal manners. It has been unifying humans for centuries and centuries. The coffee bean has created a revolution of rituals for a great percentage of our world's population.

Coffee can be prepared in so many ways. Next to alcohol, it is one of the most versatile ingredients a beverage can offer. Latte, mocha, caffe americano, macchiato, frappe, iced, hot, drip-brewed, cappuccino. Coffee can have rich, deep flavor. It can be light and frothy. It can be saccharine, bitter, or right in between. It's variety and adaptability is almost unfathomable.

Coffee, like many other indulgent things in our lives, has its health pros and cons. Caffeine, as we all know, is a stimulant and while it has a few good properties, like helping relieve menstrual cramps, it also has a few negative affects. We all know these, for instance, it is a quite an expensive habit to have. It isn't cocaine... but it does add up. This note is about the wonderful aspects of coffee, however, so we aren't going to go any further in to the negative qualities. I just wanted to acknowledge them before moving on.

Sipping on one of these delicious beverages always gives me such a sense of comfort. Especially when I indulge with a friend. The unifying sense of companionship and love that accompanies a trip to the coffeehouse with a friend is... incomprehensible. Nothing can compare.

My Indulgent espresso drinks of choice:

-Iced soy chai tea latte

-Iced soy toffee mocha

-Iced soy pumpkin spice latte

-Soy green tea latte

Yes.

Thank you coffee, for uniting our society, for bringing comfort to our type A lives, and for warming us with your sweet, rich aromas from the inside out.