At the core of this post is the question: Is caffeine necessary for coffee?

I don’t think so, and I know that that is somewhat of a controversial opinion.

I think caffeine is important to coffee, and to coffee culture – after all, the morning rush is wherein the industry make rent, and the timing of that rush is no coincidence: Caffeine is as important to coffee and its culture as alcohol is to beer and its culture. However, it’s not only the morning rush that provides coffee shops with their large profits. Coffee shops are an essential part of most people’s days, which is why so many people seem to be opening a coffee shop. Coffee is an integral part of the modern-day culture so it’s not surprising that more entrepreneurs are trying to profit from the ever-growing industry. For those thinking of starting their own coffee shops, it might be worth also looking into POS systems for the shop. Those systems help coffee shops to increase their sales and improve customer relationships. There are other benefits too, find more online. That should help more coffee shops to become successful.

Anyway, while I agree that caffeine is important to coffee, I don’t think that caffeine is necessary to coffee – or, to be more specific, to “specialty” coffee.

Part of specialty coffee is a focus on flavor experiences – on valuing things for the sensory event that they convey. While a caffeine buzz can be part of the sensory event of drinking coffee, I find the most enjoyment in the moment of sipping the coffee and letting its flavors ignite my brain in that moment. There are many ways in which you can brew your coffee, some like it straight from a pot, a machine or they like to find one of the best cafetières to enjoy pouring their coffee from, whichever way, it should always be enjoyed and savored.

Perhaps others would disagree, and find greater enjoyment in the caffeine buzz that follows, and I’m not knocking that.

What I am saying is that a good decaf – a decaf that has lost little of its flavor to the decaffeination process – can provide as enjoyable of a flavor experience as a “regular” caffeinated coffee. But can it compete with the likes of the Latte and Cappucino? I don’t know. Maybe you want to look into it yourself by looking at some facts from somewhere like The Full Moon Cafe to see if it compares to the flavor of a decaf.

These decafs, once rare as unicorns, are starting to appear. We have one in rotation now at Bow Truss – the new Organic Decaf Mexico Altura.

I just cold-brewed it at home, and it was some of the best home cold brew I’ve had all summer.