Welcome to Table Talks with Tatum. I wanted to start this series off with a topic that is close to my heart, coffee. We are going to talk about what bothers me when it comes to coffee. I try not to have inner judgments about what people choose to drink, but some things have always bothered me.

I obviously love my coffee strong. I want to be able to taste the flavor of the coffee itself, not the added flavors. In my opinion, I don’t count a frappe as coffee. I don’t count 4 or more pumps of syrup/flavor as coffee; there is just no ounce of actual coffee taste in those drinks. It might still be a source of caffeine, but I don’t view it as coffee. This is why a lot of people my age disagree with me.  Most of them enjoy sweet coffee with loads of added sugar and flavor, so when others try my coffee, they are always disgusted and say “where’s the flavor??!?”  I just enjoy the taste of coffee and espresso by itself.

Everyone has their own opinions, and if they can’t enjoy the beauty of coffee, that’s okay. I just don’t understand how people enjoy a drink that is overpowering with sweetness. Which is another reason why I prefer small individually owned coffee shops over chain places like Starbucks, Caribou, Scooters, etc. There is so much syrup in their drinks. I cringe when I take a sip. Even if I order a plain latte or drip coffee, their bean roasts just are never as good as individually owned roasts.