Coffee

For a long time, I drank only decaffeinated coffee because there was a bad chemical reaction in me between whatever chemicals stress releases in the body and caffeine. Now that I'm older, mellower and working at home in a much less stressful situation, I'm increasingly drinking more regular coffee. Although decaf has improved, regular still tastes better and there are many more choices.

I've grown to abhor Starbucks coffee. They have convinced people that over-roasted mediocre coffee is the way it's supposed to taste. No wonder they have to have so many gunky drinks to hide the flavor of their coffee. Although I will drink a cup of coffee there to be sociable, I've decided to simply not get their packaged coffee. I've ended up throwing out the crap I bought a couple of times when I wavered in my resolve and gave them another chance.

Oddly enough, my favorite local coffee is not some trendy micro-roaster, but the old-line M.E. Swings Co., which used to have an iconic shop on 17th St., across from the Old Executive Office Building. David Pursglove took me there once when it was still open, praising the quality of the coffee. Fortunately, Swings is still recognized for its quality and has fairly good distribution around town. I can get it in packages at Broad Branch and in bulk at Rodman's. Bought some Decaf Colombian at Rodman's and ground it there, though my favorite is the regular Mesco blend.

Mayorga is another good local roaster, and distributed through Marvelous Market, though the choice isn't always great. Quartermain I avoid because they have adopted a dark roast policy, hoping, I guess, to capture the crumbs from Starbucks' table. They have retrenched and I expect them to go out of business. Other trendy micro-roasters tend to fall into the over-roasting trap -- perhaps they are compelled to because people think that's what coffee should taste like.

My brother, surprisingly, while he would not call himself a coffee gourmet, has a flair for finding flavorful coffees. He has determined that the Eight O'Clock coffee available at Costco has great flavor, and sent me a sampler from Old Bisbee Roasters in Arizona as one of his thoughtful Christmas gifts (the other was BBQ from Jack Stack in KC). They are deliciously fresh-roasted and I've liked the two I've sample so far. I'm sure I'll end up ordering some, too, though obviously it's not locavore.