From Over the Hill: Concerning Coffee by Peter Bloch-Hansen
When my parents deemed me old enough, they let me drink coffee. Be- cause of caffeine’s bad press in those days, I declined, declaring it ‘the
noxious fluid’. Oh, the follies of youth. When, having looked into it during my independent 20s, I started drinking coffee, I discovered, ‘Wow! This stuff is amazing’. You know – up late, studying or just getting going in the morning after a restless night (probably from too much coffee); the sophistication of sipping a steaming mug in a chic coffee bar while delicately munching a fine almond croissant – or chugging from a steel thermos on break at the job site with the guys: bliss! So is coffee bad? The Mayo Clinic says this: “Drinking coffee can be healthy. For example, studies find that coffee drinkers have a lower risk of death from any cause compared to people who don’t drink coffee.” So drink up, folks! Um, not so fast. There are also some mostly mild harms from the caffeine -- getting too much. So, drink it but … not too much. So how much is too much? Depends. I knew people who could drink oceans of coffee, with no ill effects
at all; an epitome of coffee prestige eluded me. No, two cups and I started feeling shaky, and (blush) cranky. So, I concentrated on quality. I grind the beans at home before use – aroma!. I like a medium roast, so I avoid Starbucks where, American style, they destroy richness and subtlety of flavour. Organic beans have a smoother taste that goes down easy – no stomach upset, no lingering aftertaste. I tried different varieties, my favourite being Ethiopian Yirgacheffe – hard to find, but available. Coffee affects people differently; some are sensitive to it; some, outright allergic; others can blissfully chug away all day. So, like everything comestible, it comes down to what your body tells you, if you pay attention. So my ruling? I drink coffee for the flavour, to be sipped and savoured – preferably with a friend and no later than mid afternoon. Peter can be reached at blochhansenpeter@gmail.com
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Page 16 Boomers and Beyond – Elgin • October 2025
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