A Latte More Sophisticated

I have never liked coffee. Over the years I have tried it off and on to see if I'd suddenly acquired a taste for it, but I always have the same opinion: Bitter! Yuk!! Somehow not enjoying a cup of the steaming black brew has made me feel less like an adult. Sure, I'm old enough to drink alcohol--but teenagers do that! You don't see them having a cup of coffee too often, though. At social gatherings or dinners while all the other guests are enjoying their conversation and cup o' joe, I'm drinking water or pop. Like someone at the little kids' table for Thanksgiving dinner.
Today my friend Cindy and I took our weekly walk around Rhinelander and then headed to the Crimson Cafe for our usual drink, snack, and hour of yakking. Since it was pretty frosty this morning, I decided to be bold and warm up with some COFFEE. I gazed at the menu board with its multitude of selections, not really understanding what I was reading. Espresso? Latte? I don't know what these things are! I did see "Chocolate Macadamia Nut" listed as a flavor, and I figured I'd better go with that to mask the coffee taste as much as possible. The nice woman behind the counter explained to me what a latte was and offered to make it with a "short shot" of coffee since I was a novice. (Since she made it with skim milk, I could also justify the cranberry walnut scone.)
My first sip tasted chocolatey and warm--and coffee-like. But it wasn't the icky screwed-up-face reaction I've had all the other times I've tried it in the past. I liked it! Maybe my taste buds have finally matured and I'd even like liver or sauerkraut now. (Not) I drank the whole 12-oz. cup, feeling very adult and cool. Next time I will try another flavor and maybe even go for 16 oz.!
Fred and Erica have been nagging me forever to quit drinking Diet Mountain Dew. I have relied on that for my caffeine fix, but if I become a coffee regular I can cut down on the pop. The snazzy flavored coffees at the cafes are more expensive than a soda, though, and I'd have to do some research to learn how to make them at home.
Perhaps I'm just getting more adventurous where drinks are concerned. On Saturday after touring the Miller Brewery, we were given 3 six-ounce samples of beer. Miller is affiliated with Leinenkugel's, so one of the choices was Berry Weiss. I took a glass and immediately fell in love! Today when I grocery shopped I bought a 12 pack of Berry Weiss. I skipped the coffee aisle completely--so maybe this "beverage maturity" is a gradual process.