Wicked Wednesday – National Coffee Day

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It’s our last national day to discuss – and I think this one is my favorite. It’s National Coffee Day – and we all know how much I love coffee! It’s also Julie’s (as Julia Henry) release week – we’re still celebrating Wreathing Havoc! Congrats, Julie – and we need to discuss Lilly’s coffee habits too.

So let’s get to it – love coffee or hate it (gasp!)? If you love it, how do you take your coffee (black, loaded with cream and sugar, lattes only)? When did you start drinking coffee? If you hate it, first, what’s wrong with you (I’m kidding) and second, why? What do you prefer instead? What about your characters? Can you tell I’ve had too much of it already today?

Jessie: Congratulations, Julie! I laughed out loud at this question, Liz, as I thought of your face as you imagined people not liking coffee! I love it too but am rather picky about how it tastes. I love it very strong and black. Last year we added an espresso machine to our kitchen and I have been drinking a double espresso each morning since. In cold weather I sometimes have an Americano in the afternoon and have been enjoying espresso tonics through the summer months in the heat of the afternoon. My character Edwina Davenport makes terrible coffee and is an avid tea drinker. Her sleuthing partner, Beryl Helliwell, loves the same sort of coffee that I love but has not found it easy to obtain in rural 1920s England!

Julie: Thank you all! I love coffee, but alas can’t drink it anymore. I miss it terribly. I loved it black, but was also a huge fan of cappuccinos and specialty drinks for treats. Lilly drinks coffee in the morning, and tea in the afternoon. And in Wreathing Havoc, which came out yesterday, there are eggnog lattes, which are so, so good. Though not necessarily in this case. šŸ˜‰

Sherry: I’m so happy for you, Julie and can’t wait to read Wreathing Havoc! Liz, I’m glad you still love me even though I don’t drink coffee, Liz. It’s my mom’s fault (hi, Mom)! When I was in second grade we were sitting out on out our tiny front porch and I asked if I could taste her coffee. It was the bottom of the pot and the bottom of her cup and it was AWFUL. The Wickeds are well aware of my Coke (a Cola) habit and I go through cycles of drinking it and giving it up. (I’m in a giving it up cycle) I do love tea — hot or cold. Both Sarah and Chloe drink coffee but they aren’t addicts.

Barb: Congratulations, Julie! I would sit down for an eggnog latte with Lilly any day of the week. My two huge cups (bowls) of coffee every morning are one of my favorite parts of the day. I don’t care if it’s hot, so I can linger luxuriously, the best part of working from home. Both Julia and Jane drink a lot of coffee and tea, and iced tea and lemonade in the summer, and wine and beer in the evening, as they make their sleuthly rounds. So much that one thing I do during a revision cycle is delete some of those drinks, to make sure my sleuths don’t get the jitters or float away!

Liz: Sherry, I guess I can forgive you…. kidding! Everyone knows how much of an addict I am, and like Jessie I drink it strong and black. I will definitely do specialty drinks, especially iced ones, as a treat, like lattes with oat or almond milk. And, not surprisingly, Stan, Maddie and Violet are all big coffee drinkers – mainly because I wouldn’t know what they would do in the mornings otherwise!

Edith/Maddie: First, congratulations to Julie for yesterday’s release of Wreathing Havoc! I’ll be picking up my copy at my local indy bookstore tomorrow. Coffee – I would be bouncing off the walls if I drank as much coffee as you, Liz. I learned to love good coffee as an exchange student in Brazil (my parents back in California drank instant…). I’m a fan of a good dark roast with a bit of whole milk in it, and I carry it in a travel mug upstairs to my desk so it stays hot as I work. But I only drink two cups in the morning and that’s it (unless I’m out to an excellent dinner and then I’ll ask if they have decaf espresso), and I almost never buy coffee out. Rose Carroll makes coffee in a stovetop pot back in 1890. Robbie and Mac drink coffee but I don’t make a big deal about it.

Readers, what about you? Love coffee? Hate it? How do you take it?

Published by Cate Conte / Liz Mugavero

Cate Conte writes the Cat Cafe Mysteries and the Full Moon Mysteries. As Liz Mugavero, she writes the Pawsitively Organic Mysteries, the first of which was an Agatha Award nominee for Best First Novel. She lives in the Boston area with her rescue pals.

43 Thoughts

  1. I’m a total coffee addict, although I admit I love to doctor it up with creamer (my favorite is Silk Almond Sweet and Creamy). I have 3 cups a day unless I have an evening author event. Then I’ll have a 4th cup in the afternoon to keep me alert, knowing full well I won’t sleep well. (Priorities.) Zoe and Pete are both coffee drinkers. Pete likes his black while Zoe likes to mix in some vanilla-flavored additives to hers.

    Happy National Coffee Day!

  2. Well. I am in a hotel room for a mini-writing retreat. I had a cup from the little coffee maker in the room. Not so great. Went downstairs after the breakfast room opened. Coffee is much worse! Am about to make a second cup in the room…

  3. I don’t like any hot drinks, so by default I hate coffee. I know that I’m likely to be in the minority on this so that’s all I have for you today.

  4. First off, congratulations to Julie on the release of “Wreathing Havoc”!

    Second, ok I know I may be the odd duck, but I just don’t like coffee – never have. I don’t care for the smell, but I lovingly fix it every day for hubby who says for one that doesn’t like it that I can make a mean cup of coffee. I’d much rather get my caffeine (morning, noon or night) from my Diet Pepsi. Look at it this way, I’m just making sure there’s just that much more coffee for the real lovers of the stuff. šŸ™‚
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

    2. Congratulations on the new book, Julie. Like Jay, I donā€™t like hot beverages, although I will have an occasional hot peppermint chocolate during the holidays. I really donā€™t like coffee at all. It usually smells so good but, to me, it always tastes bitter. I donā€™t like coffee-flavored desserts or food either. I get my morning caffeine from Diet Coke. I also love flavored iced tea (no sugar added, though).

  5. I drink my coffee iced with just cream. We are going to the marina today so the hubby can work on the boat. On the way we are stopping at Dunk’s to get our free coffees and I’m going to sit in a shady spot and read. pgenest57 at aol dot com

  6. Hey, now I have something to celebrate today: National Coffee Day whoohoo! I adore coffee, dark roast and black in the morning, then switch to tea in the afternoon and evening. Doesn’t bother me if it’s hot or cold.

  7. Sorry, I can’t stand coffee. And not just the drink. I don’t like mocha, I don’t like tiramisu, I don’t like the flavor in ice cream – nothing! In face, Ellen Byron, when I told her of my distaste for coffee, asked, “Do you just not like to drink coffee or are you a serious non-coffee person?” I’m the latter.

    For me, it’s tea. Hot or iced, doesn’t matter. In fact, I have a mug beside me right now. If I want to treat myself, I’ll get a chai tea latte (with whole milk, if possible). Now that colder nights are here, I’ll treat myself to a good cup of hot chocolate.

    But my characters are all coffee drinkers, go figure. Although rationing makes it hard for Betty to get “real” coffee at home. She has to go to a diner if she wants a real cup of joe!

      1. First thing in the morning, English pr Irish Breakfast, strong and black. I like Earl Grey in the afternoon, or Darjeeling. I’ve had a London Fog, but wasn’t terribly impressed. I finished a tin of…Florence, it was called, from Harney and Sons (black tea with hazelnut and chocolate). And I love a light herbal blend in the early evening. Oddly, even though green tea is supposed to be “non-allergenic” too much of it makes the skin near my eyes get very dry and papery, so I stay away from that, except for the odd cup.

        Basically, I’ll try just about any kind of tea!

  8. Congratulations Julie!! I love the series and can’t wait to read the new one!
    I do not like coffee! Growing up, my mother was a coffee addict and would drink 3-4 a day. For some reason, the smell always bothered me and after trying it a few times, it just didn’t appeal to me. Also, when I was growing up, coffee was an “old people” drink and wasn’t cool to drink. (This was in a world of pre-Starbucks). Now, with flavor infusion, the aromas are tempting, but I’ll stick to a Diet Dr. Pepper if I want a caffeine infusion.

  9. Love Coffee! Any time of day or night but especially in the morning. I drink it with cream, no sweetener. My protagonist Lee Barrett in the Witch City Mysteries drinks it as much as I do and readers have commented that she drinks it too much. I’ve toned it down a bit in recent books. Susan Santangelo taught me about drinking take-out coffee with a straw when in a moving vehicle. It cuts down on coffee stains on shirts!

    1. The straw is an excellent idea, though it needs to be cooler I’d imagine. Love that you’ve toned it down–I had a friend who’s mother always had a pot going and drank it all day long. I think of her and realize that no character could match her.

  10. I am not a coffee or tea drinker – never have been. I just don’t like the taste. My husband was a big coffee drinker until his stomach told him to quit. My sons and daughter are all coffee drinkers – don’t talk to the youngest and his wife until they have had their first cup! When I want something hot I choose hot chocolate – these days I prefer Starbucks hot chocolate.

  11. Congratulations Julie! I am a late bloomer when it comes to coffee. Always loved the aroma and ate coffee sweets a lot but didn’t drink it much until I hit my 4th decade. The aroma doesn’t really tell you what it tastes like! Now it is a 2 cup way to start my day. I drink it black most of the time but do enjoy a cappuccino. I still get my caffeine at other times through tea and diet cola but do pay attention to the amount of caffeine I take in. I prefer to sleep solidly at night!

  12. I’ve been drinking coffee since I was a kid. My mom drank coffee all day long and that is one place I am like her. I like my coffee with International Delight Cold Stone Creamery Sweet Cream in it.

  13. I love coffee and have it every morning, usually 2 mugs. I started drinking coffee as a toddler when my dad brewed it on the stovetop every Sunday morning and then would fix mine up with half milk and some sugar. I now drink it either black or with milk. I do not like burned coffee so, NO to French roast. I remember the first time I had French roast and was horrified that the coffee had been ruined. I didn’t understand that some people prefer their coffee beans burned.
    We usually drink decaf after dinner with dessert.

  14. Coffee! Cannot live without my cuppa in the morning. Tea after supper.

    My family is French and German and Italian – yep, if there is anything to genetics, then coffee is my answer. I started with cafe au lait as soon as I could hold a mug. My mother was called to school in first grade when I announced my morning breakfast consisted of pancakes and coffee. Mom explained it was more milk than coffee and I had been drinking it forever. These days I rotate between four different blends. Three from Carabasset Coffee and one from Baby’s. Make a pot each morning and drink it with half and half.

  15. Congratulations on your new release Julie! I love coffee, I have my coffee with milk and sweetner, nowadays I have it with a scoop of collagen, which does not affect the taste of it at all, the good thing is collagen is good for me. I usually drink 3 cups of coffee( I only have a scoop of collagen in my first 2 cups of coffee) , but I could drink coffee all day long especially in the winter time. I actually really do need to drink a cup of coffee, because if I don’t drink coffee I will get a headache. I started drinking coffee in my teen years. My youngest sister is 7 yrs younger then me, and when she was a little baby, my maternal grandmother would put a little bit of coffee in my sisters bottle, my sister still loves her coffee also. I also like to drink flavored coffees once in a while, I like a flavor that has a little hint of cinnamon in it and I also like the hazelnut. Have a great rest of the week and stay safe.

    1. I’m intrigued by the collagen–need to investigate it more. When I quit coffee (had to for stomach issues) I went through terrible caffeine withdrawl. Even now I need some caffeine in the morning otherwise I’m sunk–grateful for green tea.

  16. Congrats on the latest book, Julie!! Like Judy, my daddy would make me a milked-down coffee in the morning before school, especially when it was cold outside. I used to drink any kind of old coffee, but then I went to Peru and learned what really good coffee tastes like. I used to bring 18 pounds of the beans back with me each year. Alas, I no longer go to Peru and so ends the best coffee ever in my house. I’m lucky I live where a lot of different coffee beans are available and am always trying to find just the right blend to match my ideal of Peru. Haven’t found it yet, but it is fun trying. I always drank it with milk until Peru. Then I discovered the how delicious pure coffee could be. Also, it’s a lot easier to get it black some places that to get just the right amount/type of milk I want.

  17. Coffee, love it in the morning…black with a spoonful of sugar, no cream! I have been reading about healthy foods lately and have found articles stating that coffee is good for you, even helping stave off Alzheimer’s. The sugar I add is not that healthy, but I was introduced to sugared coffee as a youngster. My dessert beverage of choice is hot chocolate or frozen hot chocolate. They say dark chocolate is good for you, too! šŸ˜‰

  18. I don’t like coffee. Tried it a couple of times, and it was too bitter for me. There is nothing you can do to disguise the taste enough. I come by it honestly, since my sister-in-law is the only one in the family who likes coffee. Fortunately, I like the smell since I’ve had roommates over the years who drink coffee.

  19. Along with Sherry, I don’t drink coffee but love a cup of tea. Never liked the taste of coffee, including coffee flavored candy, ice cream or tiramisu. Sorry coffee lovers!

  20. Love coffee…the stronger the better! A treat is just expresso, but usually take y coffee white, no sugar. Exceptions: One of the best things about Fall is Pumpkin Spice Latte, and then my all-time favorite: Eggnog Latte!

  21. I have never drunk coffee. Never have. Never will. Just like my Daddy. He made it for mother but never drank it. I make it for hubby dearest but never drink it. It smells like burnt water.

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