Thursday, November 19, 2009

Are decaf coffee drinkers tired of limited choice?

Dear Fellow Decaf Drinkers:
Is anyone else tired of walking into an inviting cafe only to find that their choice for a decaf coffee will be limited to one "house" option and that the folks behind the counter have no idea what the origin is. "It's a blend," they typically state.

The limited choice is just my pet peeve, I guess. The real issue is, do I get a coffee that tastes great? Since I'm what they call a "dual drinker", I know that the "regular" crowd can please their palatte whether they're craving a dark roasted Indonesian or a light and citrusy Ethiopian. And, that "house coffee", if it's regular and at a place that calls itself a "cafe", has a reasonable chance of tasting OK. Not so for a decaf drinker! Too often I'm reminded that we are an after-thought, a necessary evil to many cafe-owners.

Especially that cafe with the green, round label. NO decaf served after the morning rush! How absurd! Can we not think of alternatives like offering only SPECIALTY coffee drinks -- like the made to order espresso drinks or pour-over coffee?

The root of this problem -- cafe owners who just aren't thinking about their after-thoughts.

~ Ruth Ann