Nescafe. The No Wave Coffee.

I drink Nescafe pretty much all day long. A lot of people have opinions on coffee. Some people think that Starbucks is as good as it gets. Some people think that hipster 3rd wave coffee is the best...

I drink Nescafe pretty much all day long. A lot of people have opinions on coffee. Some people think that Starbucks is as good as it gets. Some people think that hipster 3rd wave coffee is the best, some people (although not many), swear by watery diner coffee. For me, it's Nescafe. I travel with it through Peru, Argentina, Japan, Vietnam, Bali, Taiwan, Vienna, Paris…Some great coffee cultures in all these places, but any time I ask for coffee and they offer Nescafe (usually apologetically), I smile. I say to them "you know what? I love Nescafe" and they say "Really?" And I say "Yea I do. I started drinking it when I was in Mexico and I really like it a lot" and they say "I thought Americans all liked fancy coffee" and I say "yea a lot of them do, but even though I am an American, Nescafe is what I like" and they say "huh." And we both smile. And another beautiful cross cultural bridge is built. A hand reaching across cultures to say "hey, I see you, we may come from different places, but we're oh so much the same". That's Nescafe. It's not skinny jeans and minimalist interiors (whoa did I just date myself?) and too cool for you baristas. It's not gold trimmed espresso machines screaming for attention while frothing the milk. "WEEEEEEE"goes the machine….they always need to be the center of attention. Oh no. Nescafe is a breed apart. The lone man on the mountaintop, lungs filled with victory as he takes his first sip of a beverage that is no trend, no flash in the pan, no first, second or third wave coffee, Nescafe is no wave (or maybe wave zero?), it stands alone, solid in its squat little jar with its handsome red hat. Just waiting, patiently, for those who have real taste, to come for a sip.