Please don't get too excited. I won't be discussing sugar, milk or any dairy alternatives. Instead, let's talk about how you sip your Espresso and how it impacts the flavour of the beverage. One of my favourite little books is called 'The Philosophy of Wine' by Béla Hamvas. It's a tribute to the rare, serene moments in life, moments of ease, playfulness, and self-forgetfulness... and yes, it also delves into the art of wine appreciation. Only two of his books are available in English, and this happens to be one of them, which I highly recommend.
But let's shift our focus back to Espresso and how to enjoy it. There are essentially two types of Espresso drinkers - although there are countless variations in between, let's just concentrate on these two for now. If I were to give them names, I'd probably call them 'The Scientist' and 'The Pleasure Enthusiast'.
So, how do these two categories differ? ‘The Scientist’ takes small sips of coffee, quickly aerating it and allowing it to spread across their tongue and palate. This method ensures that the taste sensations are fully experienced by the tongue. Additionally, the nose detects various aromas, enhancing the overall flavour experience. However, sometimes ‘The Scientist’ gets too caught up in analyzing the coffee and forgets to simply enjoy it. It's like having sex and focusing too much on techniques and positions instead of letting go and embracing the moment.
On the other hand, ‘The Pleasure Enthusiast’, or as I like to call them, the big one sipper, prefers to savour a single Espresso in one big sip, and a double Espresso in one or two sips. Their main focus is on the texture, balance, and overall taste of the coffee. They don't delve too much into the details; instead, they relish the pure pleasure of that one big sip, sometimes even closing their eyes as they feel the delightful coffee cascading down their throat. The pleasure of the act of drinking becomes so overwhelming that they may not even remember the exact taste of the coffee - they can only determine if it was good or not! And sometimes, that's all that matters.
I must confess, I am a proud member of ‘The Pleasure Enthusiast’ club. I attempted to hide this side of me because I aspired to be more like a scientist, but it simply isn't who I am and it doesn't feel authentic.
If you had to pick between these two types of drinkers, which one would you pick? How do you drink your Espresso?
Thanks for the inspiration Maxwell;-)
