My Java Journal

Happy Canada Day

Happy Canada Day!

And to my American friends – an early Happy 4th!

It is going to be hot here in Ottawa for this year’s celebration. It is going to be even more humid. So stay hydrated and find some shade.

Some might argue that this weather is not conducive to the drinking of a hot beverage.  I would have to dig up the research, but my time in India has left me with the understanding that hot drinks in hot weather actually help the body cope with the heat. Of course, I can’t even conceive of a morning without coffee, regardless the temperature.

These days though, there are so many options available for a hot summer day. Not just the Iced Cappuccinos, and other sugar bombs, covered in whipped creams and drizzles. Certainly, these have their place in the current coffee culture, but there are other – and if I may, purer – options in the cold coffee category.

The simple Iced Coffee is the obvious one. A proper made filtered blend, or Americano, settled and chilled. Another that is trending currently is the Nitro Cold Brew. These are delicious. They are created from a sturdy coffee foundation. Then they are drawn from a nitrogen tap. These are potent though. Maybe not all Nitro offerings perhaps, but my exposure to them has necessitated a slow and deliberate sipping. The concentration of caffeine is akin to that ofttimes referenced coffee IV (intravenous) that students, doctors and shift workers know well.

Canada is 151 years young today. Coffee has always been a part of our culture. Canada is a vast nation with a well-established long-haul trucking community. I have been saved many a night (or early morning) by the many truck stops on the highways. Generally, at least in my experience, it was basic filtered coffee, but I am sure the push-button multi-option machines are likely in place now everywhere. In fact the old-school truck stops have systematically become replaced by very commercial establishments set out along both sides of the main highways. Nitro Cold Brews might easily find a fan-base in these truck stops. If you happen upon a Nitro Cold during your respective celebrations this week, it might be something to try.

That’s it for today. It is Canada Day, there is need to get outside and celebrate. I wish you all a Happy Canada Day. To my American friends – enjoy your Independence Day.