Ode to the Coffee Cup

Coffee mugs, something so simple that we need to hold our favourite brew but the mug choice is just as complex as the coffee itself! At home I think everyone has their favourite go to mug for their coffee or tea. Why? What does it matter what we drink out of, doesn’t it taste the same either way? I know when I’m at home I always reach for my handcrafted mug from local potter Muddy Marvels. I choose it because of the way it feels in my hands, it’s lightness, the shape of the handle and the thinness of the rim. And I know I’m not the only one who takes these things into account.

At the café we see more and more people who bring in their own ceramic mug, even if they are sticking around. If you ask them about why they have this mug it will often be tied into a feeling of nostalgia, the memory of the one who gave them the mug or the one who made it for them. But whatever the reason, somehow, the coffee just seems to taste better out of these vessels.

However, the fact remains that the majority of people take their coffee to go and they will need something to put it in. Et, voila the paper cup was born. We even have patrons who tell us they prefer to drink out of paper cups. See? Everybody’s got a favourite. If I’m taking my coffee to go then for sure I’ve brought my travel mug, it was also chosen because of the way it feels in my hand, how long it will keep my beverage at the right temperature, how difficult it is to leak etc… People often have the best intentions to bring their own travel mug. Sadly, that travel mug is often left behind some place, winding up in lost and found along with a million water bottles and umbrellas. Soooo, we still need the paper cup….

Today you can easily google “coffee cup + environmental impact” and come up with a score of reports and studies that will set your heart racing with panic at the state of our planet. At the café we have made a dedicated effort to replace all of our takeout products to compostable items. For those that have managed to remember their own “mug” whether it’s handcrafted ceramic, travel mug, or mason jar, we will fill it with the best brew and give you a discount too! Will we save the planet one coffee cup at a time?? Maybe not, but for us at the café, we want to do what we can, where we can, to prolong our time in this beautiful place we share as a home.