Hot cup of burnt water.
A few months back I strolled into a local specialty tea shop here in Winston Salem. Upon my entering I noticed a vacuum coffee brewer and inquired the man behind the counter about it. I had heard of these before... evidently they make for a wonderful cup of coffee. When I asked the man if he tried using one he paused and took good five seconds to stare me down with intense disgust. "Coffee... is nothing more than a burnt cup of water if you ask me." I was neither offended nor eager to rebuttal to the mans remark until he insisted on elaborating his statement. "Considering coffee a form of art is a bit like trying to find intellectual value in a childrens book."
In an attempt to avoid a heated argument, I changed the subject to teas, asking all sorts of pointless questions with which I new the answers... I wanted to show the man that it was possible to have an enthusiasm in both, however, I likely came off to him as a nagging child.
I walked out of the little shop a bit irritated and still heated. Thoughts were streaming through my head, comebacks, witty arguments, and so on...
His statement about considering coffee an art being similar to trying to find intellectual value in a children book stuck with me. And not because it offended me but because people like Roald Dahl, Shel Silverstein, and Dr. Sues are to me some of the greatest artists and intellects of our time.
So I ran back into the shop and said to the man "Roald Dahl is a really smart guy!!" .... He looked at me in astonishment and bewilderment, and than it occurred to me that he had already forgotten who I was.
In an attempt to avoid a heated argument, I changed the subject to teas, asking all sorts of pointless questions with which I new the answers... I wanted to show the man that it was possible to have an enthusiasm in both, however, I likely came off to him as a nagging child.
I walked out of the little shop a bit irritated and still heated. Thoughts were streaming through my head, comebacks, witty arguments, and so on...
His statement about considering coffee an art being similar to trying to find intellectual value in a children book stuck with me. And not because it offended me but because people like Roald Dahl, Shel Silverstein, and Dr. Sues are to me some of the greatest artists and intellects of our time.
So I ran back into the shop and said to the man "Roald Dahl is a really smart guy!!" .... He looked at me in astonishment and bewilderment, and than it occurred to me that he had already forgotten who I was.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Fraser Jamieson on
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Of course he forgot you,
His mind is a muddle.
He drinks too much tea;
In his pants is a puddle.
For bright talking folk,
And for good conversation,
To a coffee shop go,
Right from here,
Cross the nation.
If you're hungry to boot,
And you've got the time span,
At a table please sit and
Eat green eggs and ham.
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Permalink Reply by Mike Spence on
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Graham, as someone who exhibits at both coffee and tea shows this is part of the problem with the specialty beverage industry. I hear from tea people who will complain that coffee shops spend all there time finding the best beans, roasts, methods of brewing etc and then serve a cheap lipton style tea in a lukewarm cup. On the coffee side we all know of tea places that serve folgers etc as their drip.
I was talking just this morning to a tea vendor (Tea Leaf in Greensboro NC) that tries to educate his coffee customers to carry a small line of great loose leaf for those occassions where it is needed (my wife is more of a tea drinker and I'm more coffee). I know of coffee vendors that try to do the same for tea places.
I don't understand why more shops don't cater to both lines at least to some degree. The overall process of serving can be very simular and passionate - how is a french press or pour over that different from some methods of brewing tea afterall. I think this guy you visited is probably going to need to open up if he wants to succeed. And, finally childrens books help make my kids think!
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Permalink Reply by Bryan Wray on
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Am I right in my thought that the man considered tea an art and coffee not? If so that's ridiculous. The two run so closely parallel... Some people suck.
You should have asked, "What makes you say something like that? I always thought tea brewing and coffee brewing were in somewhat the same family...?" (in a polite, truly curious manner)
And then when he got all defensive and put off just assure him that eventually, someday, with enough practice and training he might be able to develop his palette enough to appreciate the nuances in coffee. Then tell him the Giving Tree is the best book ever, spin on your heals and strut out. :o)
-bry
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Permalink Reply by Mike M on
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Dr. Fraser - Excellent Dr. Seuss parody!
Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but belittling baristi because he believes prefers tea preparation is more of an art is uncalled for..
Personally, I'm offended by the thought that "Oh, the Places You'll Go" had no intellectual value.. It's a fantastic gift for graduating high school and college students! It also has pictures! Leo Tolstoy never had pictures!
Ignorance is the only thing I can think of to explain the statement that coffee preparation is any less of an art than tea preparation is. Tea and coffee both are celebrated drinks in multiple cultures with long-standing histories in Asia and the Middle East.
Not to get political, but this seems to be a prominent trend in decision-making these days. When given the choice between two options, it often isn't enough to prefer or choose one, you have to denounce and discredit the other as a means of solidifying your position! In my opinion, this is a feeble tactic to compensate for a lack of understanding of the issue being decided upon as well as the different schools of thought.. Okay, maybe that was a thinly-veiled political rant, but it does apply here!
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Permalink Reply by victoria fallon on
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A+ Dr. Fraser!
Fraser Jamieson said:Of course he forgot you,
His mind is a muddle.
He drinks too much tea;
In his pants is a puddle.
For bright talking folk,
And for good conversation,
To a coffee shop go,
Right from here,
Cross the nation.
If you're hungry to boot,
And you've got the time span,
At a table please sit and
Eat green eggs and ham.
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