Like most young women in their 20's, I enjoy a good cup of coffee. It is an acquired taste, but there's just something about a nice hot cup of coffee that just makes everything seem right in the world. Especially whenever my hands are cold, hot coffee warms them right up.
I also drink iced coffee the same way my mom eats ice cream. It could be snowing outside, and I still like drinking it. I am pretty simple when it comes to iced coffee. Every now and then I drink iced lattes and macchiatos, but plain old joe works just as good. Plus it is healthier with less sugar, but that's beside the point.
I typically do make coffee at home, but I also order it whenever I am meeting with someone in a coffee shop. Also, sometimes I just like to treat myself. I like Starbucks, but it is not my first choice of a coffee shop. I appreciate their free wifi, but their drinks do not live up to the hype in my opinion. They are rather expensive, and there's a lot of extra sugar and calories. More than my personal taste. I have also tried Dunkin Donuts and Tim Hortons. The coffee there isn't bad at all, but I know the French Vanilla Swirl flavoring at Dunkin is too sweet for my taste. Other flavor shots aren't as sweet. From what I have tried at Tim Hortons, they have a nice coffee taste in their coffee. I don't drink my coffee black very often if you can't already tell.
Family-owned coffee shops are really adorable. The decor is cute, and their coffee honestly tastes better than chains. I don't think it's overly sugary and it's not burnt either. I also just like being able to support local businesses as opposed to chains. When you buy from a chain, it's benefiting a corporation. When you support a local business, it's helping to support local people.
Huntington, West Virginia has some great coffee shops including River and Rail Bakery, Grindstone Coffeeology, and Butter It Up. River and Rail Bakery has both pumpkin and peppermint year round, which is a major win in my book. Why should I only enjoy pumpkin for 3 months out of the year? I'm glad some places understand me. Grindstone Coffeeology was only a truck for the longest time, but they recently established their own shop as well. I like their hot drinks more than their iced ones. However, I do enjoy their iced white mocha. Not too sweet, and totally delicious. Butter It Up puts butter in their coffee, which intrigued me. I tried it, and I really like it. There is not a lot of additional sugars, and it has a good coffee taste.
Chain coffee is not horrible, but I much prefer hometown coffee shops. Not only are you supporting local people, but I have found that their coffee is just overall better. So next time you want to go out for coffee, skip Starbucks and try a locally owned place. It might just end up being your favorite.
