r/comics • u/DaveKellett SHELDON • 4d ago

OC Remember that drink I invented yesterday? (oc)

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COME for the acrid taste, but STAY for the lack of caffeine!

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u/Aryore 4d ago edited 4d ago

If your coffee is acrid it’s either poor quality or wasn’t brewed correctly

Coffee is always going to be a little bitter but it can be delicious

Edit: Guys I am not saying you’re not allowed to dislike coffee, I’m just saying it’s not supposed to be super bitter. Waffles, pancakes, etc.

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u/rererexed 4d ago edited 4d ago

Love that Coffee drinkers always think non-drinkers don't like it because the Coffee they've tried is low quality lol

Maybe they just don't like it dude

EDIT: They're doing it right now. They can't help themselves.

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u/Gornarok 4d ago

You are responding to response to comic that insinuates that coffee always tastes terrible...

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u/rererexed 4d ago

...which it does to people who just don't like it yeah. This isn't a problem of quality lmao stop telling me how to make Coffee

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u/Elite_AI 4d ago

Huh. I think you genuinely don't realise how you come across. 

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u/rererexed 4d ago

Nah I know I'm throwing a bit of a tantrum here

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u/Gornarok 4d ago edited 4d ago

Yeah I dont care that you dont like coffee.

Love that Coffee drinkers always think non-drinkers don't like it because the Coffee they've tried is low quality lol

You condescension has no place in this thread because the comic is "attacking" coffee drinkers while you reply reads like coffee drinkers are the one who are wrong in this case...

Coffee is often done badly. FACT

Bad quality coffee is widespread. Sometimes even the norm. FACT

If you dont like it you dont like, but often its only a case where a person havent tasted better coffee. My wife though she doesnt like wine, she just didnt have one that she liked. It was very simple to find wine she enjoys.

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u/Puzzled_Suspect460 4d ago edited 4d ago

As a journalism student I once wrote a report on third wave coffee. As someone who hates the taste of coffee and comes from a generation where it had been considered the most uncool drink this new trend was bizarre to me. I visited a bunch of coffee shops to interview baristas. Of course they wanted me to try their product and for the sake of the report I couldn't keep refusing. So they'd serve me some light brew that was 'not bitter at all' and I'd go 'ah yes this is indeed much better'. Nah, all of it tasted disgusting to me.

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u/Nike-6 4d ago

What is third wave coffee?

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u/Puzzled_Suspect460 4d ago

It's a sorta gentrification of coffee, first wave was just the functional drink, second was when starbucks-style coffee shops started popping up with lattes, frappes, syrups. Third wave is supposed to be a focus on craftmanship, single origin coffee beans, taste without add-ons.

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u/Nike-6 4d ago

Fascinating. So first wave was just meant to keep people awake?

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u/Puzzled_Suspect460 4d ago

Yes, and to keep warm. Also partly for social status back when it was still exotic. Taste wasn't really the most important factor as I understand it, they didn't have the more sophisticated brewing methods available today. Though I think most people 'learned to like it' because it is addictive and they'll associate the taste with the alleviation of withdrawal symptoms.

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u/Nike-6 2d ago

Like a hand warmer?

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u/Puzzled_Suspect460 2d ago

More like, when you'd be working outside in the field or in a factory, or living in a home without central heating, drinking a hot cup of something can warm you up. Fun fact though: my grandpa's dad used to bring two freshly boiled eggs to work, one in each pocket of his jacket. They'd keep his hands warm on the walk there and once he arrived he'd peel and eat them for breakfast.

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u/blarghgh_lkwd 4d ago

People have been drinking coffee for hundreds of years it's not like no one ever thought it should taste good until Gregory's or whatever opened up

Like honestly coffeehouse culture goes back to the 1600s

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffee_culture

It's had a major impact on society and politics. Frappe and cappucino and all that shit has been around since the 1700s

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u/Puzzled_Suspect460 4d ago

This is all from research I did years ago so not sure of all the details. But those specific drinks are later inventions (even though there were precursors earlier on). And in any case the waves are more about wide adoption, some recipes did start early but took decades to be popularised trhoughout Europe. You're right that coffee houses were a thing for centuries but they were more of an intellectual alternative to pubs, men went there for reasons other than the drink itself, mainly to read newspapers and to socialize. There wasn't a wide variety of flavours, you'd have your coffee or cocoa plain, or later on, with some cream. And these places were for specific social classes only and usually didn't admit women.

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u/Elite_AI 4d ago

They're right in this case because acridity is specifically something you can only find in bad coffee. 

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u/Laxativus 4d ago

It's the phrasing.
"I don't enjoy coffee" for me means the person does not like the taste of coffee.
"Coffee is shit / coffee tastes terrible / similar generalization" for me means the person does not know what they are talking about, quite possibly because they never had a good cup of coffee, mostly because I had the same thing for wine and other alcohol, because I though that if I did not like the alcoholic drinks we could afford as students it was because I did not like alcoholic beverages and not that we could not afford good beverages.

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u/Elite_AI 4d ago

This is it. "I don't like coffee because I don't like the flavour of coffee" is a completely sane thing to say. "I don't like coffee because it's acrid" means you've had burnt and cheap coffee because that is specifically what happens when you make burnt and cheap coffee. 

You might turn out to enjoy a well-made coffee. Or you might not, because maybe you also dislike the intrinsic flavour of coffee on top of this acridness you've experienced. But you don't know either way. I think some people don't like the presumption in that statement but it's right so what're you going to do about it? 

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u/SkabbPirate 4d ago

But, that distinction has to do with how much someone dislikes coffee, not why they dislike it.

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u/gerusz 4d ago

TBF a lot of people's first exposure to "pure" coffee is either something from Starbucks which is overroasted crap that is meant to give a slightly coffe-y taste even through a gallon of milk and half a pint of flavoring syrups, and as a result is absolutely horrible to drink on its own without all those trimmings, or mid-shelf supermarket pre-ground coffee.

Sure, there are definitely people who just don't like coffee, and I can accept that. But at least give a fair shot to actually good or at least decent coffee once before deciding that it's not for you.

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u/fridge13 4d ago

Because it's true. My partner only drank coffee with allot of milk and usually only when out she was much more likely to drink tea. I got her to try black cold brew one time and it blew her mind because it tastes very different. Not bitter or astringent at all.

Most coffee sucks any chain coffee shop or resteraunt is basically guaranteed to be bad but that's what everyone thinks coffee tastes like they've never had a decently breed cup

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u/rererexed 4d ago

You must be right Coffee is objectively the best and no one in their right mind could ever dislike it and everyone that says they do is just a pleb who hasn't tried real Coffe because this dude's GF has been converted thanks for enlightening me

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u/fridge13 4d ago

I'm just saying that people shouldn't write it off because they tried it at the time hortons on time and it was ass. That's like saying you hate beef after going to mcdonalds

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u/grendus 4d ago

Nobody is saying that.

What they're saying is the flavor described in this post matches the flavor that is typically found in low quality coffee that has been roasted to the point the beans are burnt and then poorly brewed through a Kureig pod that doesn't get hot enough for a proper extraction and makes it taste all... plastic-y. It's so low quality that most coffee enthusiasts would only drink it in the most dire of circumstances, as a functional "need for caffeine" rather than "I would like some coffee".

Imagine someone coming in and saying "steak is the worst food ever imaginable" because the only steaks they've had were unseasoned cuts of "stew meat" that were so over-done they were burnt, and then slopped with ketchup to cover up the poor cooking. They very well may not like steak (I don't, and I've had some fucking amazing steaks, I just prefer most other meats), but the only examples of steak they have had are of such poor quality that even steak enthusiasts would say "I think I'll have the chicken".

You're welcome to not like it. You're welcome to not even try a higher quality version. But if you come in and make a sweeping generalization about all coffee being bitter, acrid crap... you're objectively wrong.

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u/poison-bilberry 4d ago

Man fuck all these people I’m with the you. I can’t stand the taste of coffee anything. The second it’s in a product it’s ruined for. I can’t even stand coffee ice cream 🤢 and it’s so annoying because my entire life people have been giving me shit for not liking it and trying to point out all the ways I can try it and then I’ll like it! No, I won’t please stop trying to make me like it. I am not your Sam, I will not eat your green eggs and ham!

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u/Laraso_ 4d ago

Do you not see how your argument works in the reverse as well?

That people who tried coffee and didn't like it always think that other people also don't like it and are just coping for the caffeine?

Maybe they just like it dude.

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u/Aryore 4d ago

Never said that I expect everyone to like it, just that it’s not supposed to be stupid bitter

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u/rererexed 4d ago

Implying the people in the comic are drinking bitter coffee instead of just not liking it.

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u/Elite_AI 4d ago

From the OP:

COME for the acrid taste

If your coffee is acrid, something has gone wrong.

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u/miicah 4d ago

They would be, because I doubt they had any Nordic Ultra-lights 1000 years ago.

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u/rockstar2012 4d ago

Who knows... They might have preferred something lighter albeit uneven. There is no way to know how much they roasted their beans.

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u/JimmyStewartStatue 4d ago

Well I do assume that is the case because ive met a majority of coffee drinkers that only have coffee from a store or the coffee that they make and "love" tastes so vile to me, a coffee enthusiast.

It's not hard to make decent coffee, but few people care that it's very easy to make it taste bad or to have the flavor 90% masked by milk or sugar.

For instance, my father makes a 12 cup pot of coffee in the morning from half the amount of coffee grounds needed. He says it saves money, but it also makes very very acidic coffee that will are your mouth feel dry or almost waterproof inside. Then when he's finished, he gets a cupful of water and adds it to the machine which starts brewing the old grains more.

Good coffee is about the shortness of time that the water and heat contact the coffee. A drip machine has the coffee exposed to the water for a long time while espresso exposes the coffee to heat for less than 10 seconds and under a lot of pressure (presso).

There are varieties of coffee that have incredible flavors, but a lot of factors have to come together to be able to taste that flavor.

Espresso's flavor begins to degrade within 60 seconds. So all the drive through lattes are basically bottom of the barrel in terms of flavor profile. I've also ordered plain espresso from many stores to see what they can produce, usually it's made completely wrong and tastes blonde. Throw in some foamy milk and sugar, now it doesn't taste like coffee anymore, problem solved.

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u/rererexed 4d ago

See, you're doing it right now!

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u/El_Morgos 4d ago

Gay sex is awesome and the most wonderful thing. If you didn't like your gay sex it was most probably just poor quality. Once you tried proper gay sex you will love it.

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u/gravygizzard 4d ago

I mean you say that in jest but more likely than not that's probably true lmao

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u/82away 4d ago

Once you tried proper gay sex you will love it.

haha

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u/Jeanpuetz 4d ago

It's the same with alcohol. And I say that as someone who loves alcohol!

"Of course you don't like beer if you only ever tried Bud Light, try this locally brewed pale ale!"

Hate comments like these, because as much as I like craft beer, most craft beers are less likely to turn people into beer lovers since most supermarket beers are quite literally designed to taste mild and "beginner-friendly".

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u/rockstar2012 4d ago

Your example is a scenario of the blind leading the blind. Not a craft beer enthusiast. Your so called "supermarket" beer is not designed to be beginner friendly, it's actually designed for consistent flavor while being mass produced at a low cost. Craft beer =\= IPA, there is a huge variety of flavor profile in craft beer. It's not so much as telling them they are drinking the "wrong thing", but showing there might be something out there they might enjoy. If somebody doesn't like "regular" beer they probably won't enjoy an IPA right away but perhaps they will enjoy something more juicy, a milky stout.

Coffee is different because slop coffee is ubiquitous, Most people don't even drink it without milk and sugar and have no idea the coffee experience could be improved.

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u/Jeanpuetz 4d ago edited 4d ago

Your example is a scenario of the blind leading the blind. Not a craft beer enthusiast.

I mean, yeah kind of, but I have seen variations of my example multiple times on reddit, and heard people say something like that in real life. I'm well aware that craft beer has more to offer than just IPAs. Hence why I said most craft beers are less likely to be appealing to newbies, not all. Sure, there's some beers that someone who's not big on lagers might appreciate more. But if someone has tried lagers multiple times and has hated the experience every time, it's highly unlikely that any beer will be appealing to them, except maybe some that are so heavily flavored as to remove any and all malt or hop flavor from it.

I disagree about supermarket beer not being beginner friendly. For the same reason that I disagree when people call all supermarket beer trash. Bud Light (and similar products) isn't a terrible beer - it's okay enough at being a light lager. And light lagers are really not bad at introducing people to beer, because they undeniably taste like beer while not being overwhelmingly hoppy or malty. They're not premium products, but they're widely available and inoffensive.

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u/rockstar2012 4d ago

Reddit is gonna be like that regardless of niche. I am also talking about real life scenarios, like a dinner party or get together. The idea is not to convert them into a lover of all beers but find something they will be able to enjoy and at least not but all beer in the same box. If they already don't like lager despite trying multiple times you gotta recommend something totally different. In my personal experience people that didn't like lagers reacted positively to juicy NE IPA, milky stouts, and wheat beers. If they still don't like it that's fine at least they gave it a shot.

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u/Elite_AI 4d ago

I don't really believe in the concept of beginner-friendly. I think you're either born with the tastebuds to enjoy a drink or you're not. It's not like spiciness where you start low and ramp it up. 

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u/SarcasmInProgress 4d ago

I might be a counterexample, because I used to hate the taste of beer and now I enjoy good, quality beer. It's an acquired taste

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u/Jeanpuetz 4d ago

That's just absolutely wrong, and not really a matter of opinion. People's tastes develop and evolve all the time, even well into adulthood. And who in the world ever loved their first sip of alcohol? Developing a taste for alcohol is pretty much an experience that almost every person who likes to drink goes through as they grow up.

I'm a hobby bartender and I sample different types of rums & whiskeys all the time, and there's several bottles that I used to dislike just a few years ago that have since become home bar staples for me. It's the same with many beers and wines.

Doesn't even have to be about alcohol. You never try something you thought you didn't like years later and suddenly realize that it's actually tasty?

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u/Elite_AI 4d ago

And who in the world ever loved their first sip of alcohol?

Me, thanks for asking. I have never acquired a taste for anything, and alcohol is no exception. I loved beer and red wine from the moment I drank it.

Listen, I worded myself badly. Of course our tastebuds change over time. I used to hate tomatoes, now I love them. I get that. But it's not as if I sat down and started with a bloody "beginner tomato" and worked my way up to the more difficult ones. I just randomly started liking tomatoes one day. It's part of puberty or something.

When I first started drinking beer, I hated macrolagers. I loved milds and smoked beer and stouts and porters. And I hated sours and IPAs. That's a fairly random jumble of beers I liked and disliked! It's not like there were beginner beers I was more likely to enjoy and difficult beers I was less likely to enjoy. I don't agree with your prediction that macrolagers are more likely to be enjoyed by someone who hasn't drunk beer before than, like, a mild, or a stout.

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u/Jeanpuetz 4d ago edited 4d ago

But it's not as if I sat down and started with a bloody "beginner tomato" and worked my way up to the more difficult ones. I just randomly started liking tomatoes one day. It's part of puberty or something.

Not trying to be an ass, but that really just sounds like a you thing. Working your way up to more "advanced" flavors is like, an incredibly common thing, and I'm genuinely surprised how someone can not "believe" in it.

Go to like, any food-related hobby subreddit and you'll find plenty of examples. I'm a rum-fiend, and developing a taste for increasingly funky Jamaican rums after getting started with something more mild is almost a rite of passage lol

Once you start to acquire a taste for a specific flavor, you often tend to want more of that. Many people who used to drink their coffee with milk & sugar start to gravitate more towards black as their tastes evolve, for example. Coffee, alcohol, chocolate, cheese... Do you think that everyone who likes super bitter chocolate, super stinky cheese, cask strength smoky Scotch, etc. etc. etc. liked those things from the very beginning?

Maybe you, but certainly not most people.

Edit: That's not to say that you can train yourself to like anything and everything of course. I agree with you that there's certain things that some people just seem to be hard-wired not to like (and vice versa), and no amount of "training" your taste buds will change that. There's that cilantro-soap gene thing, for example.

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u/GolemThe3rd 4d ago

Same thing with steak as well

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u/gravygizzard 4d ago

I went most of my life not ever tasting good coffee, it's actually super common to only try poorly made coffee as it's easy to fuck up and most people put creamer in it anyways. Once I had a good coffee and I was hooked and had to figure out how they made it, what beans they used etc etc. I still hate coffee if you're referring to the coffee everyone hates or barely tolerates

You're allowed to not like things, but it's also safe to assume most people who don't like coffee based on one experience haven't tasted what I've tasted. It's kinda like deciding you hate all hamburgers because you ordered a poorly made fast food burger one time

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u/rererexed 3d ago

but it's also safe to assume most people who don't like coffee based on one experience

That's the annoying and mostly wrong coffee drinker's assumption. Coffee is fucking everywhere. We've tried many.

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u/NinjaGrows 4d ago

So weird how the coffee drinkers are getting so defensive over your comment lol. I don't like coffee because it tastes like shit, not because I haven't tried the right one yet.

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u/Elite_AI 4d ago

Perhaps people don't like it when others tell them they enjoy the taste of liquid shit

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u/Lumeton 4d ago

It’s just an acquired taste and addiction, it doesn’t have much to do with the actual flavor. I’m Finnish, we drink more coffee than anyone else in the world. I don’t know a single adult who doesn’t like coffee, though I do know a few who prefer tea. In practice, however, everyone has acquired a taste for it because of the culture. Coffee is the number one thing in all social situations and is served at all events and meetings. If the law says you have to have a certain amount of breaks during the workday to drink coffee, you might as well. Now, everybody hates the stuff as a kids. I did, until I got into it at about 13.

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u/irrelevanttointerest 4d ago

"Everyone has acquired a taste for it" is the crux of just about everything. Chicken tendie mouths that gag at the sight of a vegetable weren't broken in properly. Alcohol of all stripes tastes like shit until you get dragged through enough parties, clubs, and bars.

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u/Elite_AI 4d ago

I don't relate at all. I vividly remember the first times I had beer and wine and coffee because I loved the flavour so much and couldn't wait to get old enough to have more. I'll never understand people who force themselves through a flavour they dislike until they magically start liking it somehow. 

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u/Megalesios 4d ago

That's just not true though. Different people like different things, your opinions are not universal, and when people like something you hate it's not necessarily an aquired taste, them pretending, or some kind of trade off. Somethimes people just plain like stuff even if you don't!