Perhaps the best source for coffee’s grandeur is someone who spends hours everyday brewing cup after cup. Meridith Lucius, a barista at Bailiwicks in Tiffin, OH, graciously agreed to allow me to interview her discussing the perks of her job: the crazy customers, the typical environment, and (you guessed it) the coffee.
Meridith’s daily duties as a barista include just what you’d expect. She talks to customers about their coffee orders, has the pleasure of making the delicious drinks, and gets to spend time with fellow “addicts”, as she calls herself, of coffee.
Meridith considers herself and her fellow baristas as “therapists to the customers.” They make the highly specific drinks for the patrons who are actively craving the smallest drop of caffeine. Once the hot, iced, blended, whatever the choice of coffee may be, is delivered, the recipient can finally take his or her stroll into heaven.
As someone who finds herself at Bailiwicks frequently, the smell (as I can attest to from personal experience) is intoxicating. While some people may not love the burnt smell of coffee grounds, all coffee lovers can agree the aroma is pure ecstasy. Behind the counter, Meridith describes the smell as sugary and sweet, the combination of the syrups with the hot coffee blending into the perfect scent. I don’t know about you, but the sensation of the bold, candied, glorified blast hitting my face as I walk into Bailiwicks is causing me to sweat in anticipation.
I admire baristas like Meridith who get to spend so much time with coffee surrounding their souls. I especially envy one of the last comments she made: “I smell like coffee 24/7 so that’s a plus.” Why don’t you rub it in my face even more, Meridith? It's these stories and experiences that let me live vicariously through fortunate people who are surrounded with the drink I consider to be perfection. Making coffee is a craft, and if my career developed into nothing more than a barista, I would be the most radiant boy on earth.
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