‘Can I have a filter coffee?’
‘That stuff’s not fresh. You can have some of the other coffee.’
‘What kind of coffee is that?’
‘It’s bean coffee.’
‘Oh, OK, I’ll have some of that then, thanks.’
At least, I thought he had said ‘bean coffee’, which sounded rather nice, until I tasted it. Then I realised what he must have said was ‘It’s been coffee’ – way back in the distant past, before it had turned into tar.
There are some places where Starbucks and its kin come in and trample over a whole unique local coffee-drinking culture with their homogenised American product. And there are places where that would be a welcome relief…
Town Mouse 
Whatcha doing in Norn Irn? Book tour? Will you be coming to Dublin? Yours stalkerishly, Anne
Ha ha ha, that’s good. At least the version I can whip up here at home is of the bean variety and not too bad. I fondly remember the days, not so long ago, when all NZ had was powder coffee – and this was in coffee shops – and you were enjoying a rare treat to have filter coffee.
You know the civet coffee that’s a million pound per ounce, the one where the beans have been eaten by a civet, nature takes it’s course and the beans are recovered… I’ve often wondered what happens to the non-bean element… I think you may have found out 😉
Anne – no, just a holiday this time. My publisher seems strangely reluctant to send me off on a world tour at their expense
Jenny – not so long ago here either
PB – you may be right.
I’m a coffee drinker. I always find Starbucks coffee both to hot and to strong, and the same can be said for Coatapacket to. It’s been so strong that I’ve felt sick for a good few hours after, I no have to drink their coffee, and then a litre of water, just to water it down. when I asked themanager for w weaker coffee the other dy, I was given one of thse sorts of looks that says “get the **** out my coffee shop.
Back to the flask for me.
Hope life in scotland continues to treat you well. we’re loving rural Norfolk.
this managed to be both too strong and nasty