Satanic sustenance

coffee formal hall

According to a bizarre article at The Viewspaper, coffee is the devil’s own drink. I rarely drink it myself – only normally after a large meal in a formal setting, when it tends to come as the fourth or fifth course, with mints alongside. A decent cup of espresso at that point often prevents me from falling asleep during the inevitably dull after-dinner speeches that tend to accompany such evenings. It’s an excellent stimulant for counteracting the booze from the earlier part of the meal.

Indeed, I’ve heard people swear blind that coffee in the morning helps them to get over their hangover from heavy drinking the night before. I’ve not yet found the need, but I thoroughly believe those that tell me, as I’ve seen them both before and after their caffeine hit!

Many people insist on only ‘proper’ coffee – freshly ground from beans, and brewed carefully in a device with a plunger. Others are happy with what’s available, which usually amounts to freeze-dried granules from a jar on the shelf next to the tea bags. The purists have the edge here from my point of view. I’ve tried both and there is often much more depth of flavour and intensity in the ‘proper’ coffee.

So, if you wish to get on the good side of the devil once you pop your clogs, perhaps being buried with the best Java blend and associated equipment might be the right technique.