As has been established, I live in the Northwest. Seattle-ish. Birthplace of Starbucks coffee. At once, the savior and death knell of the coffee industry. Spanning the globe with it's brand of family friendly snobbery, allowing even the indiscriminate to be bone fide hoi polloi. Now, you too can be an elitist.

The concept was and is brilliant. I too fall sway to the plush chairs, the somewhat less than a roar of a propane flame, the warm and inviting colors. While at the same time taking espresso to the masses, it has killed the craft.

Can we still call them barista's? What do they have over the guy who pushes the button to fill a shake cup at any of the 4-corners of fast food locations in your town? I'm all for consistency (my Americano is the same in Seattle, Turlock, or Tokyo), but I'm even more for artistic expression through shot pull. Grind, temperature, pack, etc... All these have been left in the dust of consistency.

Let's save the idea of tipping the "barista" for another post and get on to what spawned this entry, though less compelling now that I think about it. Oh well.

This weekend I went through the Starbucks drive-through. Most drive-throughs have a nice awning to shelter the driver from the rain when paying and receiving food. Why not at the ordering station? I still get water on the fake wood paneling of the mini-van (yet another post) when ordering. I've concluded the awning is strictly for the employee and possibly considered a benefit in HR terms.

So I love coffee. I even love the ice-creamy-powdered drinks. And I will patronize the majors. But if you can find a stand that pulls a real shot, and if its good...tip. And tip well. The craft is dying. The crema is breaking.

Who's the elitist now?

Blast.
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Arizona has no affiliation with the state of the same name, nor does he reflect the views and opinions of any officials or public in said state. Arizona's views are strictly his own and do not reflect those of his friends, family, employer, or furry woodland creatures known to live near his home. Comments and requests for information should be directed to Arizona Audio Works.