1889 August | September 2018
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Until Next Time<br />
More Than Just Coffee<br />
written by Lauren Lofthus | illustrated by Allison Bye<br />
I REMEMBER SITTING in the stands at some kind of sporting event, cotton candy in one hand and<br />
my mom’s leftover coffee in the other. I would shove a clump of cotton candy in my mouth and wash<br />
it down with the coffee. This was my introduction to the bitter bean, and I’ve loved it ever since.<br />
Coffee is culture around Seattle. When you’re sitting<br />
in a coffee shop, you can often look out the window and<br />
see another coffee shop just down the street. I’m sure it<br />
seems weird to out-of-towners.<br />
Sure, our Washington clouds and cold mornings<br />
encourage the habit, but it goes deeper than that. If coffee<br />
was just about the warmth, we could drink tea. If coffee<br />
was about sugar, we could all get together for cupcakes.<br />
It would be hard to have a serious conversation while<br />
stuffing your face with cake, but that could be part of<br />
the fun.<br />
No, coffee is more than that.<br />
Coffee is about finding new places. Whether you<br />
want bright, fresh and airy, or cozy and dimly lit, you<br />
don’t have to look far to find a coffee shop that shares<br />
your aesthetic. Often they reflect something about the<br />
community around them. A Snohomish coffee shop<br />
might display an antique or two. An Everett coffee shop<br />
might have a more modern look. Coffee shops are a<br />
good starting point when you’re trying to get to know a<br />
city’s personality.<br />
Coffee is about family. My dad taught me how to make<br />
French press coffee. My mom taught me how to make<br />
drip. My brother taught me how to make pour-overs.<br />
Even though my husband doesn’t drink coffee, he still<br />
makes an amazing brew. We put a pot on for all of our<br />
family gatherings, and when we go on vacations we find<br />
new favorites together.<br />
Finally, coffee is about making new friends. Around<br />
here, you do coffee if you’re just starting to get to know<br />
somebody. To be fair, you also do coffee if you’ve been<br />
friends for thirty years. Meeting at a coffee shop is a great<br />
way to set up a casual interaction before you’re good<br />
enough friends for something dramatic—like dinner.<br />
So, as much as I enjoy a rich cup of coffee (maybe<br />
mixed with cinnamon and orange, maybe topped with<br />
whipped cream) coffee isn’t really about coffee for me.<br />
Coffee is about living life.<br />
88 <strong>1889</strong> WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE AUGUST | SEPTEMBER <strong>2018</strong>
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