Just last week I met someone at the newly opened coffee shop in town. Surrounded by the heady aroma of the brew and the morning hum drum of lattes and mochas, I was struck by how packaging and branding had elevated something as simple as coffee. Coming from a region of India where most people still start the day with warm milk or tea prepared in the humble home kitchen, the rise of the coffee to such international fame still manages to amaze me.
The lesson to be learnt here is that there is money to be made when something can be made complex, branded, packaged and mystified. Twenty years ago there was just coffee and then came decaf, today your morning cuppa is as complex as you want it to be and your relationship with your barista something to be thoughtful of.
Drinking coffee is no longer about getting your morning caffeine. It is now a whole experience and a statement of who you are. If you favor Starbucks you are playing it safe and willing to pay a premium for the guarantee of predictable taste. But if you are a true pioneer, you will be seen frequenting the one off boutique coffee shop in town run by the local couple who use burlap at every chance they can, probably diffuse essential oils at home, and in the name of being local have taken on a lifelong struggle.
Whatever your passion or style, coffee is no longer just coffee. When you order that non-fat, extra hot latte with soy milk and stevia leaf sweetener and refill your battered travel cup, you are buying something that appeals as much to your soul as to your taste buds.
The lesson to be learnt here is that there is money to be made when something can be made complex, branded, packaged and mystified. Twenty years ago there was just coffee and then came decaf, today your morning cuppa is as complex as you want it to be and your relationship with your barista something to be thoughtful of.
Drinking coffee is no longer about getting your morning caffeine. It is now a whole experience and a statement of who you are. If you favor Starbucks you are playing it safe and willing to pay a premium for the guarantee of predictable taste. But if you are a true pioneer, you will be seen frequenting the one off boutique coffee shop in town run by the local couple who use burlap at every chance they can, probably diffuse essential oils at home, and in the name of being local have taken on a lifelong struggle.
Whatever your passion or style, coffee is no longer just coffee. When you order that non-fat, extra hot latte with soy milk and stevia leaf sweetener and refill your battered travel cup, you are buying something that appeals as much to your soul as to your taste buds.
No comments:
Post a Comment