Starbucks, Tim Hortons, Second Cup… coffee follows us around wherever we go. Whether it be the basis of coffee runs for the office or a first date at a cute coffee shop, liking coffee and caffeine in general is a quintessential part of the experience as an adult–but what if you don’t like coffee?
The past few cold days in March and April have made me crave a hot drink and I didn’t want to cave and get a hot chocolate like I usually do, so I’ve tried to adapt. These are the things I’ve found help make coffee more bearable:
- AVOID DRINKS WITH LOTS OF COFFEE
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The type of drink that has been suggested to me the most is a mocha, which consists of espresso, milk and chocolate. Personally, I don’t love the chocolate they use at Starbucks, so I went with a white chocolate mocha, but overall it wasn’t bad! If you’re looking to find that suave drink name, I would stick to a latte or mocha–both these drinks consist of espresso shots and steamed milk unlike a straight americano, which would just be way too much for someone who doesn’t love coffee.
- DITCH THE 2%
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If you follow step 1 and get a mocha or a latte, you’re going to be drinking a lot of milk. I found that 2% milk doesn’t really cut the taste of the coffee at all, but when I switched to coconut milk (coconut beverage on the Starbucks app) the overall coffee aftertaste was cut to a far more enjoyable experience. If coconut milk isn’t your cup of tea, any other milk choice should help; oat, almond, and soy milks all have a sort of grainier and heavier note than 2% does.
- Know your Espresso
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Now before I get into this I need to make a disclaimer: I’ve never tried a normal espresso shot. However, my sister, who is a regular coffee drinker, suggests trying a blonde espresso shot over a normal one since it’s supposedly smoother than your average espresso shot. I did my research and found that it’s technically stronger in the caffeine department, but overall contributes to a smoother drink. Also, don’t be afraid to get one espresso shot instead of whatever is in a normal drink (for example, a grande at Starbucks will give you 2 shots of espresso), because making the switch can help you still get that coffee in there without having so much that it’s all you taste.
- Make Syrups your BFF
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The thing that’s actually going to kill that god awful coffee taste is syrups. Starbucks (I’m not sure about other coffee shops) has over 10 different syrup flavours, so find the one you like and throw some pumps in there. A grande will automatically have 4 pumps, but I usually drop it down to three just to make it not super sweet. Nevertheless, syrups are your friend and where most of your drink’s flavour is going to come from. My suggestion is toasted vanilla–it has an almost s’mores-like flavour to it and it helps with sweetness as well as gives that warm toasty vibe you want with a warm drink–but Starbucks have so many, including more fun ones like peppermint and raspberry. If you ever get curious, check out the options on any coffee shop’s app!
Overall, these are just a handful of tips to help the people out there who don’t love coffee but want to give it a shot. Experimentation is key whenever it comes to trying new things, so branch out and try a bunch of different drinks–you could even change your order every time you go in! Also, remember that getting a hot chocolate or some other drink is completely fine–your drink choice doesn’t indicate your age, taste is such an important thing in life, and life’s short, so have what you enjoy!