While caffeine withdrawals can be nasty, some say it's worth it in the end. Photo / iStock
While caffeine withdrawals can be nasty, some say it's worth it in the end. Photo / iStock
When Venetian traders first brought coffee to Italy some 400 years ago, they had no means of knowing what we'd do to the drink.
Over the past year we've been subjected to increasingly far-fetched coffee trends. We've seen everything from deconstructed coffee, rainbow coffee, fairy floss coffee - and we'll no doubt see more before the year is done.
As each variation becomes more novel, (read: more instagrammable) than the last, it begs the question: when did a coffee stop being a bloody coffee?
Look, I have a confession to make. I quit the stuff and swapped it out for tea over a year ago. As an Australian-Italian, this was no easy decision let me tell you; one that led to a few raised eyebrows among whispering family members, but I haven't looked back.
Now, looking at the current coffee climate it's a decision I'm thankful for.
Single origin, house blend, cold drip, pour-over, filter coffee, cold brew - the options are endless, and expensive. Call me crazy, but when a coffee rivals the price of smashed avo on toast that's when I'm out.
Whether it be due to the rise of hipsterism, Instagram, or a combination of the two, it seems people have lost sight of coffee's purpose; to get a much needed dose of energy, while maybe socialising with mates.
Walk into any cafe today and you'd be hard pressed, (pun intended) to find someone without phone in hand, either snapping a photo of their drink or trawling through a social feed.
Just last week I was in a cafe in Surry Hills and a woman in front of me ordered a half shot, medium strength soy latte - otherwise known as a "why bother?" coffee.
After receiving her weak-as order from the-less-than-impressed barista, she then proceeded to take the lid of the drink and take a photo of it. I'm yet to find out whether she included the hashtag #overpricedmilk.
Anyway, lets get back to the big quit.
I'd feel remiss if I didn't mention that the first weeks were hard, extremely so. We're talking a persistent headache that wouldn't quit, and raging internal debates any time someone would extend an invitation for a cuppa.
"Since I've quit I no longer wake up an irritable mess", says the author. Photo / iStock
Every cloud has a silver lining though.
Committing to the quit was worth it for the financial reasons alone. I'm sure you've read many an article outlining the thousands that can be saved by forgoing a morning coffee, so I promise I wont harp on about it.
All I'll say is that through giving up my daily cappuccinos I've saved enough to move out of home and partly fund a trip overseas.
That aside, it's my health that's really paid off.
Since the quit I've found I no longer wake up an irritable mess, riddled with a caffeine headache and low on energy. And that 2pm mid-arvo slump - the one where you body cries out for a boatload of sugar - is that much more manageable without caffeine withdrawals to contend with.
As the spectacle of coffee begins to outweigh the drink's original intention, as we're bombarded with endless boutique options, as the price continues to increase (while arguably, at the sacrifice of taste) - maybe, just maybe, it's time to give up coffee for good. Who knows, you body and bank balance might actually thank you for it
