Being a geek, I’m a bit of a caffeine nut. My tastes usually revolve around pop and coffee; I don’t need any of those chocolate-covered coffee beans, nosiree. But I do like my caffeinated beverage.

I don’t really want to go into the cola wars, as those have been hammered out on television during every major sporting event and pop culture show, usually whenever it’s not a commercial for beer, male-enhancement drugs or feminine products. (What’s sad is that I did keep count through a few shows to determine that those 4 categories make up, on average, 75% of commercials that are not network advertisements.)

When it comes to coffee, though, you don’t see a lot. You used to see those old Taster’s Choice commercials here in Canada which starred Anthony Head (Giles from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Uther Pendragon from Merlin). There was the melody from Folger’s about the best part of waking up. But now coffee has gone into every third corner store. And yet it was something I always just took for granted – a cup of coffee. Depending on how someone at work made it, it was all right. Nothing spectacular but all right. But it was coffee.

I recently read the book "Pour Your Heart Into It - How Starbucks Built a Company One Cup at a Time" by Howard Schultz and Dori Jones Yang. (The image to the left will take you through to the page on Amazon.ca.) Howard Schultz is the Chairman and CEO of Starbucks, and reading how he came across this small company in Seattle and turned it into what it is now was an amazing read.

Now, you may think coffee is just coffee, but the book covered a lot of how one chooses the bean, the types of beans, the roasting process, and the inclusion of flavour. Now, the book was intended to be more of a company biography (which is why I picked it up), but reading on the details and the intricacies of the coffee is something that made me want to taste the difference.

I’ve never really paid too much attention to the coffee at various places but this book made me do just that. Most coffee is watered down and you get no flavour, no enjoyment. But then at a place like Starbucks, you do; the downside is you pay an extraordinary price for it, but sometimes you don’t mind paying for quality. However, a co-worker had a French Press at work and recommended it. I was curious, and saw that there was one at the grocery store for 15 bucks. I decided to grab one and took it home. But now I needed the beans.

I guess I could have gotten the beans at the grocery store too, but one thing I took from the book was that the fresher the beans from roasting the better. There was a small coffee shop about 2 minutes from where I live so I decided to try that place out. I had never gone in before, but figured what the hey; can’t hurt to look, right?

The place is called Forbidden Flavours and when I went in I was greeted by the co-owner of the place. Even though it was a Sunday night and her staff were cleaning up to close-up for the evening, she took some time to talk to me about what I was looking for, my likes, my preferences, etc. I think this is what sold me on going there from then on – the personal touch. (The fact that I introduced myself only once on that first meeting and she knows me by name whenever I go in now is great as well.) She and her husband own the shop and they do everything there. The roasting is done on site weekly, so the beans that you get are extremely fresh. They offer small sample bags of coffee so you can try different ones. Their house blend, known as the Prairie Blend, is amazing – a light bean/medium bean/espresso bean combination. Amazing.

The flavour from this coffee is amazing, and in the French Press it’s astounding – made to how I want it. A richer flavour, a temperature for me, and I have it at my desk as well so no getting up to get more (except when I need more water). It makes a good 3 cups worth as well, so those 6 AM mornings are definitely helped. The fact that it gives my coffee that personal touch, and from a place that gives me the personal touch, is greatly appreciated. For those who are picky and love their coffee, try a French Press. For 15 bucks plus the coffee (which has a different level of grinding so you have to go somewhere that grinds or get your own grinder), it’s definitely worth it.

(On another note, as I wrote this post I found out that Forbidden Flavours is closing shop permanently on Sunday 21 February 2010. I only just discovered this place. It is one of the few non-chain shops in the area and it’s quite saddening to see it go. I used to go to another coffee shop here in Winnipeg which closed down over 10 years ago, and it was definitely a community place to hang out. Although I don’t know the reasons why, I wish Allan and Katherine, the owners of the shop, all the best. Katherine took her time to talk to me and for that I am ever appreciative – it’s rare that you find a business who takes that much time to understand a single customer and make them feel welcome.)