The first time I drank coffee was probably in my twenties, in a bag. The kind of instant coffee brewed with hot water. At that time, I felt that coffee was sweet and adding creamer to it was very elegant.
Then, there are Peninsula, Starbucks, and specialty coffee shops. From lattes to special blends, to American-style hand-held drinks, and then to lattes.
The first time I tasted hand-brewed specialty coffee, the barista's fancy brewing techniques and the addition of various professional terms like “powder-to-water ratio” and “extraction rate” made me very nervous. It doesn't feel like drinking coffee, but rather a “ritual” that requires full concentration. I took a sip, and you wouldn't believe it. It really brings out the acidity, fruit aroma and floral fragrance. Then I got into the trap and bought beans by looking at their origin. Start researching what grinding degree, one-cut flow/three-stage. Steaming time, flow rate and water temperature. It's just a fierce operation like a tiger, but after it's done, there's a bitter taste.
Now we're back to the starting point, coffee with milk. In the morning, I take a deep breath just to “force a restart”, and in the afternoon, I take another deep breath just to “wake myself up”. The once pursued refinement and meticulousness have gradually faded away, and coffee has eventually become a sweet yet bitter companion in daily life.
