coffee in 3 words

My friend and former colleague, Ben Blake (@bejabl) asked me and a few others, 

"If you could say 3 words about coffee, what would you say?"

While I responded rather quickly, I realized there is so much to this daily indulgence of mine. I was able to come up with three strong words, but felt the need for further conversation.

Culture: the coffee lifestyle is a unique one, to say the least. Perhaps the neatest thing is the segmentation of coffee culture into unique tribes. Generally speaking, you've got coffee drinkers vs.non-coffee drinkers. From there, you have fans of Folgers, Keurig crazies, and home roasters. Within the world of coffee you have vast amounts of diversity, brought together by the simple love of java. I entered into this culture as a child, sipping on my father's black coffee on winter hunting trips. After an embarrassing season in Frappucino world, I discovered the french press. Becoming a Starbucks barista rocked my palate and I learned about the many variables and factors that make a cup of coffee what it is. Today, I still feel as though I am a child of the coffee process, but continue to learn more each and every day.

Community: Coffeehouses, shops, and cafes are my most frequent stops while working and traveling. The environment that it creates is sometimes unexplainable. Drinking a cup of coffee is about the people you are around, the environment that brings you in, and the way that it can unite an entire community. Undoubtedly, my best conversations, business meetings, and opportunities to learn came with a cup in hand. And that environment wouldn't mean anything without the scents of roasted coffee beans, low lighting, and a community of coffee drinkers.

Expression: For those who explore into the depths of the process,  coffee is undoubtedly an art. Regions around the world are known for different types of beans. Once you have a roasted bean, there are many factors to be considered like acidity, body, and flavor. Even beyond that comes the brewing methods, brewing, drip, espresso, press, siphon, etc). You can tell a lot about a person simply by what's in their cup.  Much like a sports fan wears their team jersey with pride, a coffee-lover takes great joy in their personal preference and desire for "their perfect cup".

If you could say 3 word about coffee, what would you say?