It’s National Coffee Day: So Let’s Make Something Good
Apparently today is National Coffee Day, which feels like the kind of holiday a coffee company should probably celebrate.
But I have a confession to make.
I haven’t always loved coffee.
I know. That’s a strange thing for someone who owns a coffee company to admit.
I’ve always loved the smell of coffee. There was just something about it. But then I’d take a drink and... nope.
It was bitter.
So, I’d start adding things to it. Sugar. Creamer. Flavored creamer. More sugar. Then instead of having coffee that was too bitter, I’d have coffee that was too sweet.
I could never seem to find the middle.
And then I started Udderly Eclucktic Coffee Co.
Funny how starting a coffee company will make you learn a few things about coffee.
Maybe I Didn’t Hate Coffee After All
As I learned more about coffee, I started learning how much goes into making a genuinely good cup.
The beans matter. The roast matters. The grind matters. The amount of coffee you use matters. The water matters. And how you brew it matters.
As I learned how to brew coffee better, something happened that I honestly didn’t expect.
I stopped wanting to cover up the taste of the coffee.
I started enjoying it.
Not the creamer. Not the sugar. The coffee.
Somewhere along the way, the person who used to think coffee was too bitter became someone who actually prefers drinking it black.
That’s still a little funny to me.
The Coffees That Changed My Mind
I certainly haven’t decided that every coffee tastes the same. Actually, learning to drink coffee black has made me notice the differences even more.
Two of my favorites are our Cowboy Blend and our Costa Rica coffee.
When there’s no flavored creamer or sugar covering everything up, I can actually taste the coffee itself. That’s what I’ve come to enjoy.
And that’s probably been one of the biggest surprises of starting Udderly Eclucktic.
I thought I was starting a coffee business.
I didn’t expect it to teach me how to love coffee.
Good Coffee Shouldn’t Need to Be Hidden
Now, don’t misunderstand me.
If you love cream and sugar in your coffee, put cream and sugar in it. If you want caramel syrup, add caramel syrup. If you want whipped cream piled so high that you need a spoon before you can find the coffee underneath it, I’m not judging you.
In fact, we’re making a Pumpkin Spice Latte in a minute.
But I don’t think you should have to add things just to make coffee drinkable.
If the only coffee you’ve ever had seemed unpleasantly bitter, you might not hate coffee as much as you think.
Maybe you haven’t found your coffee yet. Or maybe nobody ever showed you how much difference brewing it well can make.
That’s one of the reasons we talk about things like coffee to water ratios, grind sizes and brewing methods here at The Kitchen Table.
I had to learn too. And I’m still learning.
So How Do We Celebrate National Coffee Day?
Well, after I just spent all that time telling you I’ve learned to appreciate black coffee, I’m about to put pumpkin, milk, vanilla and sugar in it.
Because apparently, we’re complicated people around here.
And it’s fall.
So, we’re making a Pumpkin Spice Latte.
Kitchen Table Pumpkin Spice Latte
You don’t need an espresso machine or a trip through the drive thru to make a cozy fall coffee at home.
What You’ll Need
- 8 ounces freshly brewed Udderly Eclucktic coffee
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree
- 1 to 2 tablespoons brown sugar or maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Whipped cream, optional
- A little extra pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon for the top
1. Brew Your Coffee
Make it a little stronger than your everyday cup so the coffee flavor doesn’t disappear once we add the milk and pumpkin.
2. Make the Pumpkin Mixture
In a small saucepan, combine the milk, pumpkin puree, brown sugar or maple syrup and pumpkin pie spice.
Warm it over medium low heat, stirring until everything is combined and hot. Don’t let it boil.
3. Add the Vanilla
Remove the milk mixture from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
If you have a milk frother, this is a great time to use it. If you don’t, a whisk works just fine.
We’re at The Kitchen Table. Nobody is grading your foam.
4. Put It Together
Pour the hot coffee into your favorite mug and add the pumpkin milk mixture. Give it a good stir.
5. Make It Pretty If You Want To
Add whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice.
Or skip all of that and drink it straight out of the mug.
Both count.
Which Coffee Should You Use?
Here’s where you can have some fun.
Our Pumpkin Spice coffee is the obvious choice if you’re going all in on fall.
But you don’t have to use flavored coffee. A good medium or dark roast gives the drink a strong coffee base and lets the pumpkin and spices do the flavoring.
And if you’re a caramel person, I’d absolutely try this with Caramel Coffee too.
There are no Pumpkin Spice Latte police.
At least I hope not.
Make It Yours
That’s one of my favorite things about making coffee at home.
Want it sweeter? Add more brown sugar. Want more pumpkin? Add a little more. Want stronger coffee? You already know what to do. Prefer oat milk or another milk? Use it.
Want twice the whipped cream?
I’m certainly not telling.
Recipes are a starting point. Your kitchen gets the final vote.
Here’s to the Ordinary Cup
National Coffee Day looks a little different to me now than it would have a few years ago.
Back then, I loved the smell of coffee but wasn’t particularly interested in drinking it unless I could cover up the bitterness.
Today, I’m perfectly happy sitting down with a black cup of Cowboy Blend or Costa Rica and actually tasting the coffee.
That’s quite a journey for someone who wasn’t sure she even liked the stuff.
So, whether you drink yours black, turn it into the Pumpkin Spice Latte we made today or land somewhere in between, I hope you’ll enjoy a cup with us.
And if you think you don’t like coffee?
Don’t write it off just yet.
You might be a little like me.
Maybe you just haven’t found your cup yet.
Happy National Coffee Day from our kitchen table to yours.
Farm Raised • Faith Driven
Roasted with Purpose.