On any given day, you can glance around town and see people walking with a drink in their hand. The explosion of coffee, tea, boba, smoothie, and juice places has made it a necessity of daily life to stop by a shop and pick up a drink as you make your way through the day. Drinks have become a boutique industry.
I think about how we never used to have the need for a drink at any given time of day. If we were thirsty, we would have some water and keep going. Now there are so many options, and it’s not just about quenching your thirst. I personally like to stop for a tea so I can take a break and slow down. Others choose to have an espresso for a quick charge or a smoothie or juice for health benefits. The choices of milks, flavor additions, supplements, and simply hot or cold is mind blowing. We all have our particular nuances when ordering a drink. Makes me think of Tom Hanks’ line in You’ve Got Mail, “for only $2.95, [you] get not just a cup of coffee but an absolutely defining sense of self.”
We are living in a carefully curated age where the choices are endless. There is something comforting about clutching a drink. It can calm you, it can energize you, and it can make you feel smart for making good choices. At the end of the day though, do we really need all these fancy liquids from chic and trendy boutiques? I believe in keeping things simple, and the age of drinks is anything but.
With the variety of options out there, we need to mind the extra calories and sugar as well as caffeine. Ultimately, water is still our best drink. Admittedly, it is not as fun as a pink and purple drink with boba in it. So order with knowledge, and limit the ingredients in your drink. Less is more, and a good drink doesn’t need more.