My first memory of coffee was my parents lying in bed and asking me to make them coffee. In the 70's the maker they had was a percolator and I remember assembling it and making them coffee. I wouldn't touch the stuff, I hated the smell. I remember also going to Croatia as a child and everyone drinking "Turkish" coffee, basically espresso with grinds on the bottom and again, I'll pass thank you. Women were known to read the coffee grinds, it was interesting to see. Sanka comes to mind, the commercials for iced Sanka. When I was working in Waldbaums' I would occasionally get a coffee from this store in the Metro Mall. Diet Coke was always my coffee, already sweetened and no chance of burning myself drinking it. Working for the bank, we would go to these WASI meetings and I started my coffee drinking, also when I went to Community Bankers, coffee was served with dessert and I started liking it. Barbara and I had gone on two cruises together (great times) and she would have coffee and I wouldn't, this was back in 2004 & 2005. I started liking cappuccinos at this point, but it was never anything I HAD to have, that's my feeling on diet Coke. :)
I remember going to Starbucks with Laura and she ordered a cappuccino and there was a shot of espresso and foam, very airy foam and she showed the barista and they said that's a cappuccino, um no it's not and she got a different coffee. One day I was in Macy's in the city and felt like having a cappuccino and I totally forgot what had happened to Laura and I was drinking forever before I got to that shot of coffee.
Arriving in Brisbane the first time, my then boyfriend took me to Coffee Club for breakfast (Coffee Club is a cafe' chain that serves coffees and meals). I had a cappuccino and it was pretty good, good thick and creamy foam, like someone had put warm CoolWhip in it. It was delicious. Since moving here, I've tried my share of coffees, there are so many cafes. Brisbane is known for it's coffee culture. One day I decided to have a vente cappuccino in Starbucks, and I was not disappointed, it was done properly, I was so happy. McCafe makes really good coffee too, they grind the beans before they make the coffee, it's not some pre-ground stuff that's been sitting around. There are chain coffee places here, Starbucks, McCafe, Coffee Club, Gloria Jean's Coffees, Aroma's, Cibo Espresso, Michel's Patisserie and Zarraffas Coffee. Now, these are just the chains, then you have your little independent cafes too. The coffee I love, love so much because I do not need to put any sweetener in it, is Rouge Coffee. Rouge Coffee are boutique coffee roasters and I don't know what they do, but I can't get enough of their cappuccinos.My husband loves their espressos, but it does come with a kick so he needs one packet of sugar. Another one that I like is Merlo, they have pretty good beans too, and if you want you can buy beans directly from them from all sorts of places for all sorts of prices.
Then you have Campos, also no sugar needed. DiBella, pretty good, haven't tried Elixir yet, and there are a few others I can't remember at this time.
One thing I've noticed since living here, you don't just walk into a coffee place and ask for a cup of coffee, there's no such thing as coffee sitting in a glass pot waiting to serve you, they make it when you order it. A cappuccino is a cappuccino. My typical order at McCafe is: small cappuccino, full cream milk to have here. An espresso is called an espresso or a short black, depending on the cafe. If you want a black coffee, no milk, that's a long black. If you want milk in that coffee, you order either a latte or a flat white. Basic rule of thumb, check out the menu and if not sure, ask the barista. Yes, I said barista, no one just gets you a coffee, they have to be trained to make the coffee. If you want Nescafe, then I'm sorry you're going to have to make it yourself, as every place that serves coffee, has a full on coffee machine, no hot plates keeping your coffee warm ever.
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