Drinking Coffee in Grandma's Kitchen

Where did it start? As best as I can remember my Grandma Hinko gave me my first taste of coffee. In my parent's home coffee was considered as adult drink. I guess the thinking was that children shouldn't get all wound up on the caffeine. I'm certain that we were buzzed on caffeine anyway because it was an ingredient in cola beverages, which also contained lots of sugar. But this was the early 1960s and that was the common knowledge; no coffee, lots of cola.

No coffee, unless my sister and I spent the day with Grandma and Grandpa Hinko. In Grandma's kitchen we would be served freshly baked goodies. And the best thing to go along with those treats? Certainly not cola. A little coffee would be the thing. This wasn't your usual mug of coffee. It was more of an introduction to the beverage. Just a splash of coffee with a lot of milk and sugar. Still, it was enough to give us a taste. And that's all it took. There wasn't anything like the taste of coffee. After that first sip I was a fan for life.