Rachael: On Caffeine

I am sad to say that regular coffee as we know it in the States is not the same as it is here in Ireland. The first cup of coffee I tried was named “The Americano”. Despite my self-appointed status as coffee addict, I found it to be the strongest cup of coffee I have ever had. Not only that, it was the smallest amount of the stuff for the price. A regular would have been more appropriately named a kiddie, and what’s worse, it cost €3 (which, when you factor in the exchange rate, was closer to $4). I was informed later that the Americano was named due to the fact that it consists of a shot of espresso and hot water, in an attempt to make the espresso weaker… These ingredients are meant to mock the “strength” of American coffee. After my first cup of Americano, I attempted to find real coffee. I tried Portobello Pub. When questioned, the bartender assured me it was indeed coffee and not espresso. Sure enough, it was the Americano.

Diabetics Beware:
I would also like to take this time to mention that no shops or stores (that I have been in at least) carry artificial sweeteners. They also do not use cream. However, you are absolutely welcome to their assortment of white or raw sugar, along with all the regular milk you please.

I had begun to ask around and was finding out that coffee machines like the ones back in the States just didn’t exist here. We popped into a soup cafe and the man behind the counter overheard my conversation about the coffee being different and he assumed I meant just in Dublin. He piped in, “aye, the coffee around here is the weakest shite…”

I have found that the Spar stores sprinkled around the city happen to have coffee that is not nearly as strong as these Americanos. They are also about half the price of the specialty cup. So, unless you are in need of some chest hair, may I suggest that you try to work up to an Americano as opposed to jumping in blindly with both feet, as I did.