Americanos

First of all, Kudos to me for posting 200 times. Second, it may look like Americans are one of my favorite things, but you would be wrong in assuming that. I like Americans, but I like Americanos more. Perhaps a small amount of back story is applicable. One time I was naive and did not know what an Americano was. Somewhere along the way someone explained to me that and "Americano" was really just a shot of espresso and boiling water. It seemed simple enough. Fast forward to January 2006. Every Saturday night my co-worker and I get coffee from next door and we find that their regular coffee is usually of a poor quality and also bitter. We decide to suck it up and get real coffee made by hand, ie espresso. I begin my drinking of Americanos. Fastforward to May/June 2006. I discover Starbucks gift cards in my wallet and decide that I should supplement my working for the man with high quality/caffeine coffee during breaks. I decide that since I don't like plain Starbucks coffee that I should get the cheapest espresso coffee. Americanos become my drink of choice. I even have a system of drinking said Americanos. First there is the initial preparation of the beverage, which includes some half and half, and some honey. I find that honey gives the Americano a richer and rounder flavor, and also perhaps is a little more natural then white sugar. Then I take this prepared hot bevy back to my desk where I let it sit for a few moments while is cools slightly, I have to protect my palate. Then I begin drinking the Americano. The drinking part can last up to 5 hours, and the rest of my shift, since I like to enjoy the experience in its totality. I may even have to warm up the Americano near the end of my shift to make sure that it is still enjoyable to drink. It is a great system since I spread out the drinking over the entire shift. After all that I may concede the fact that I may have a minor "need" for that delicious caffeine and honey fix each day, but as far as vices go I think its a pretty safe and fairly harmless desire.

But why do I like Americanos so much, and why are they one of my favorite things? A couple reasons come to mind: they are the cheapest of the espresso drinks, they contain no frou frou (not the band) additives, they do not require a special sign on the coffee cup, its sounds relatively decent when spoken ie: "Grande Americano" as opposed to a "Grande/no fat/low foam/room for cream/half sweet/extra hot/extra shot/double whipped/2 pump caramel/soy/misto/in a venti cup", coffee can be added to bump the drink up to "High Test, or Canadiana", and finally, today when I got coffee from the coffee shop next the wine store (which has the best Americanos in town, the coffee shop, not the wine store) I did not even have to order it, the began making the drink as soon as I stepped in, what great service. And also indication of my enjoyment of one of the civilized world's best, and most delicious hot bevys.