Starbucks has responded to the competition of entities such as McDonalds and has decided to try something new. A handful of stores Starbucks stores in the greater Seattle area have started serving regional beer and wine, along with a gourmet artesian menu. Some of the criticism is that the caffeine brings people up and the beer and wine bring them down.

I look forward to my morning espresso drink. My two mainstays are lattes and Americanos. My choice for the day just depends on whether I want to taste the beans or need something with a touch of sweetness. I’m hopelessly addicted to caffeine, it’s true. I look forward to my morning drink and it helps me brave the morning. Some of it is that I need the caffeine to keep a headache from forming. I wonder how much of my love of my morning espresso is simply the ritual of it.  

I remember a time last year when my espresso maker broke. I was no longer able to make my beloved Americanos and lattes. I really wasn’t in a place to replace it right away and I wasn’t even sure what to buy next. I live near some great coffee places and so I just bought my espresso daily. But, it got spendy and sometimes I just wanted to make my drink at home. I then stumbled across instant espresso.

The strong flavor of espresso is either intriguing or revolting, depending on the person. For those of us that like our caffeine and flavor strong, espresso is the way to go. It’s easy to get confused about the different espresso drinks, such as lattes and cappuccinos. Let’s explore the differences.

My holiday season begins with the emergence of gingerbread lattes. While I do visit Starbucks, I also look out for the gingerbread latte at my local coffee establishments. They tend to appear at the same around the same time as they do at Starbucks. My regular order at coffee shops is typically an Americano with a splash of half and half, preferably iced. I deviate from that and order a gingerbread latte once or twice a week during the holidays.