If we don’t drink, we die. There’s no question there. But what we drink and why; now, there’s a lot of room for variety with our beverage choices.
When I go to coffee shops, I tend to order either an Americano or a simple espresso, wanting to enjoy the rich bitterness of coffee, or I’ll opt for the more spicy sweetness of a chai tea latte. It all depends on my mood (which often depends on the weather).
When I go to a pub here in the self-appointed beer capitol of the world — Bend, Oregon — I tend to avoid the heavier, darker beers in favor of a hoppy IPA, wanting to enjoy its rich bitterness (hmm, sounds a bit like my coffee taste). But if the weather is more summery, I’ll take a lighter, tangier radler like 10 Barrels’ Swill.
But the rest of the time, I simply love the sweet water that comes from the tap here in Bend. Every time I return from traveling to other cities, with their bland, metallic, minerally waters, I go straight to the kitchen sink to taste the fresh goodness of our water.
I don’t drink sodas or sports drinks. Teas bore me. Kombucha intrigues me. Ciders go down too quickly. When it comes to wines, I prefer dry to fruity and something that has plenty of finish and isn’t all attack. I have no interest in mixed drinks other than the occasional margarita. I’ve enjoyed the whisky I’ve had, but they’re too expensive and too alcoholic for me. And the only time I drink milk is in something or with hot chocolate chip cookies.
So, those are my drink preferences. What are yours?
And what if you were a drink yourself? If you were one of the bottled or canned drinks that are available in large or small quantities, what would you be and why?
Personally, I’d be a Red Chair IPA from Deschutes. It’s American and local and I want to be tied to my community context. It’s a craft beer and yet not snobby, and I want to be unique yet not elitist. It’s a seasonal brew, available during the colder half of the year, adding depth to an already deep time of year.
So, have fun the with question and let me know what you’d be and why? Sweet and sassy? Dark and brooding? Bitter and acidic? Smooth and earthy? Simple? Complex? Intoxicating? Sobering? Exotic? Domestic?