Showerthought: a customer at my old cafe in Portland said my favorite light roast tasted like 'hot water with a memory of beans'...

He was so sure that any coffee lighter than a French roast was just under-brewed, which stuck with me because it showed how a strong opinion can totally block someone from tasting what's actually in the cup, so has anyone else had a conversation that changed how you talk about flavor with people who are set in their ways?

3 comments

3 Comments

adamr1410d ago

That's such a perfect way to put it... a memory of beans. Honestly, the best move is to just not argue. If someone says that, you just nod and say "yeah, it's a totally different style." Trying to convince them just makes them dig in harder. Maybe offer a tiny sample of something a tiny bit darker instead, like a medium roast, as a bridge. Sometimes shifting the drink is easier than shifting the opinion.

anthony_campbell8810d agoMost Upvoted

Man, you're onto something with the sample idea. It's like when someone says they hate all fish because they only had bad fish sticks as a kid. You don't hand them a raw oyster. You give them a perfectly fried piece of cod. For coffee, maybe it's not even a medium roast bridge. Try a super approachable light roast with big, obvious fruit notes, like a natural process Ethiopian. Call it "the berry one" and watch their face change.

claire_hart5310d ago

Ever try a washed Ethiopian Yirgacheffe as a bridge? It's got that clean, tea-like body that doesn't scare people off, but the lemon and jasmine notes can really sneak past the "all light roast is sour" guard.