A Nice Cuppa

The first time my sister caught me shoveling sugar into my coffee, she almost gagged. She explained to me that ???Real Coffee Drinkers??? don???t use sugar. A little heavy cream, perhaps, but certainly not sugar. I felt like a fraud. I vowed to be a ???real??? coffee drinker. No more sugar in my coffee.

For years I fought it. I???d gulp down the steaming mug of bitter liquid, and tell myself that eventually I???d get used to it. Coffee is supposed to be bitter, at least, that???s what all my coffee-snob friends told me. They???d sneer and smirk when I reached for the milk and sugar. Friends who wouldn???t dare criticize my clothes, hair or dating choices seemed to think nothing of deriding my coffee preferences. So, I would quietly sip black, dark roast coffee. I disliked it so much; I???d avoid drinking coffee and instead would drink caffeinated soda when I needed a little boost. Coffee and I were just not meant to be, it seemed. Sure, it felt ridiculous and a little wrong ordering pancakes and a Coke. But at least I would not have to endure the ridicule or drink a steaming hot cup of bitter.

Finally, I???d had enough. Call me hedonistic, but I like to enjoy my beverages. Let my coffee-snob friends snicker; I???m going to be true to my tastes. I am a sweet tooth. I can say that with my head held high. I will always prefer sweet foods to savory. I have never found a dessert that is too rich or sweet for me. Why should I fight it? While friends take a bite of the Decadent 7-Layer Fudge Cake and pucker their mouths remarking ???Oh, that???s too sweet!??? I will happily consume their share, scraping every last morsel from the plate. I relish in cereal so sweet, you can feel the sugar granules in the milk. I would never let anyone make me ashamed of my dessert choices, is coffee so different?

Rather than suffering through coffee, I decided to enjoy it. I???d pour as much cream and sugar as my body could handle. The first time I did it was in the privacy of my own home. I brewed up a fresh pot, poured a cup, splashed in a bit of cream and reached for the sugar bowl. I poured a spoonful of sugar into the brew. Then another. Then another. With each spoonful, my smile grew. Finally, I was enjoying coffee.

The first time I met a friend for coffee was a little daunting. I thought I???d play it safe. I ordered a small mocha. Sweet, but still a respectable drink. I took a sip. This just wouldn???t do. So, I reached for the sugar and poured a healthy dose, much to my companion???s distaste. ???You haven???t learned to enjoy the bitterness,??? she condescended. Well, no. I haven???t.

Once my sweet tastes were out of the closet, I reveled in it. The day I found out what brown sugar does to coffee, I never looked back. Granulated sugar, what? The syrupy consistency and flavor were all I needed to convince me to never be ashamed of my sugar habits again. I can now respond with stoicism when the sneering snobs descend. ???I like sweet,??? I???ll say with a shrug.

Maybe my palate is unsophisticated. But why would I imbibe something I don???t enjoy for the sole purpose of deadening my taste buds? For as long as it pleases me, I???m going to take my coffee with sugar. Lots of sugar. And a dash of cinnamon, if you please.