Most of us rely on our favourite barista to set the tone for the rest of the day by making our morning cup of Joe. Without a caffeine fix it is hard to function, right?
Coffee has become a central part of our lives, it’s something we drink every day to help us focus and brush away the cobwebs. This National Barista Day on Monday, March 1 make sure you thank your coffee maker for their devotion to having a cup ready and waiting each weekday morning.
In Italy, the word ‘barista’ can be used for a bartender of any gender and any drink from alcohol to coffee; whereas for the rest of us a barista only makes our brew of choice, whether a cappuccino, latte or double-shot espresso.
Celebrating Barista Day is as easy as it gets…just go down to the local café and enjoy the barista’s work with one of their freshly prepared coffees. Take the family or a friend along as we all know coffee is best when shared with the people we care about.
Coffee and chocolate…ideal companions at Alice Rebel’s Café in Chelsea.
Here are five surprising facts about coffee to perk up your day and mocha you happy:
•Coffee dates back to 800 AD – legend has it 9th Century goat herders noticed the effect caffeine had on their goats, who appeared to ‘dance’ after eating the fruit of the coffea plant. A local monk then made a drink with the produce and found it kept him awake at night and so the original cup of coffee was born.
•The world’s most expensive coffee, made from the feces of an Asian palm civet, can cost more than $600 for 500 grams. These cat-like animals eat fruit, including coffee cherries, but are unable to digest the beans; the excreted seeds produce a smooth, less acidic brew called kopi luwak.
•You can overdose on coffee – but don’t worry, you would need to drink about 30 cups in a very short period of time to get close to a lethal dose of caffeine.
•Coffee drinkers tend to live longer – research has shown moderate consumption (about 3-4 cups a day) is linked to a longer life span, reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and Parkinson’s disease, according to Harvard Health Publishing.
•The largest cup of coffee was made in 2012 and filled a 2.7 metre tall cup with 13,200 litres of brew, earning a Guinness World Record.
Make sure you head to a café nearby on Monday and give bottomless thanks to the barista!
