Even So-So Coffee Makes For Good Conversation

My cousin recently got married and I roasted coffee for the reception. I roasted 3 pounds of Costa Rica Lourdes de Naranjo Herbazu and 2 pounds of Columbia WP Decaf – Huila Excelso from Sweet Maria’s (@SweetMarias). If you’re going to roast coffee at home, this is a great place to buy green beans. Unlucky for me and the guests, the 100 cup percolator didn’t do the coffee justice; it was weak, watery, and simply disappointing.

Family and friends and a few unfamiliar people who knew I was roasting expected the best and they didn’t get it. Since I stood by the coffee serving table preparing people for their first sip of so-so drip, a few people approached me about roasting coffee, their coffee preferences, favorite coffee shops, and passion for coffee.

During one particular conversation with a coffee aficionado who agreed that the coffee beans I gave her smelled much better than the brewed coffee, I was once again reminded that people enjoy coffee for a variety of reasons.

Some people are passionate about coffee because of how it tastes while others enjoy coffee because of the conversations that it helps make possible—at home, at work, or at caffeinated conversation friendly places. For those who appreciate coffee and conversation, it seems that even so-so coffee is good enough. If I hadn’t warned people about the under-extracted coffee, many of the interesting conversations that followed, moving beyond the coffee at hand, wouldn’t have happened.

When I brew a cup of coffee and I am disappointed with how it tastes, I usually drink it. When I go to a coffee shop and the coffee doesn’t impress, I make a mental note of it, but I usually drink it. And so-so coffee won’t necessarily keep me from returning if I like the vibe.

I appreciate good coffee and I appreciate good conversation. It’s best when they’re together, but I’d rather have so-so coffee and good conversation than good coffee with so-so conversation. What about you?