Black coffee is oddly such a controversial topic. All the time on social media I see people bashing people who drink their coffee without anything in it, and I'm not sure why people are so mad about it? If you're like me, you probably didn't even realize the transition you made to drinking your coffee black until you realized you'd been doing it consistently for a while. The transition happens in the blink of an eye. Drinking black coffee is truly a lifestyle, but how do you even get there?
1. First, you're disgusted by it
Before you ever had your first sip of coffee, you probably hated it already. When I was little, I remember going into a coffee shop with my dad and just being absolutely disgusted by the smell, thinking who could ever possibly drink this stuff? Spoiler alert younger Taylor: it's you.
2. But then you finally have your first simple Starbucks drink
This is probably around middle school. You want to be trendy and cool and drink coffee like all the older kids do, but you still really hate actual coffee. So you go to Starbucks and get a Vanilla Bean frap or my personal favorite, the strawberries and cream (which both have no coffee in them at all) and you take cute pictures with your cups and you finally feel like a big kid.
3. And of course who can resist holiday drinks??
Pumpkin Spice and Gingerbread lattes, Peppermint mochas, the list goes on and on. They can be considered a real cup of coffee, but they tasted so delicious that you were willing to drink them.
4. Getting into ~latte art~
Hearts drawn in milk on top of a latte were literally all the rage about six years ago. If you scrolled through any social media, you were bound to see some kind of magnificent masterpiece drawn into something that was going to be consumed. You can't even lie, you totally hopped on this trend.
5. You have your first real cup of coffee... with a ton of cream and sugar
Big kid coffee tastes great when you add five packets of sugar and half the cup is filled with creamer! But hey, you walked up to the counter and ordered regular roast coffee, and for that, you were super proud.
6. You feel like a grown up when you only need one sugar and a dash of cream
You're not ready to commit to full on black coffee quite yet, but you're also not twelve anymore and the idea of consuming that much sugar in one sitting makes you want to puke. You settle with a middle ground and enjoy coffee that regular adults consider acceptable.
7. You try your first watered down coffee and it isn't THAT bad
Maybe you took a sip of your friend's melted ice coffee, or you tried some really weak blend (like I did at my sorority house,) but after tasting black coffee that isn't quite as strong, you realize it isn't the horrible drink you thought it was so long ago. You maybe could even see yourself ordering one in the future.
8. You accept that drinking black coffee is the only way
There's no denying it: the pros out weigh the cons here. At this point, you've realized that ordering black coffee is way cheaper, and the baristas don't roll their eyes at you the way they do at the others with all their "no foam, extra whip, blah blah blah" demands. And plus, it's only like five calories a serving, and you really can't justify wasting any more calories than that on some caffeine.
9. It's 4:30 p.m. and you're in line ordering your second nitro cold brew
The barista knows your order by heart when you pull up every morning. You really can't go one single morning without a cup of coffee, and you probably find yourself coming back for a second or third cup on some of your harder days. Coffee controls you now, embrace it. But maybe it's time to invest in your own at home coffee maker.
