Your Cultural Coffee

Ontarians have a thing with coffee. It's fine to like or even love coffee, but there's a point when it goes too far. There are some people who just can't let go of their freakin' metal mug. Case in point: I was stopped at a red light the other day and glanced at the car to the right. I couldn't help but notice that this guy was driving with his mug permanently in his right hand, as if he couldn't leave the house without a coffee. This is a ridiculous obsession. I love tea, and I enjoy coffee, but it doesn't mean I have to take some with me everywhere I go.

Tim Hortons has admittedly had a large role to play in this. I'd be willing to bet that many of those who partake in this buy their coffee at Tim Hortons and don't actually brew at home. This, of course, is dilusional because it affirms that Tim Hortons coffee is the best there is. There's no better! Gotta have some Tims every freakin' day! When I was living downtown late last year, I was amazed on my morning walks to school to see the number of government employees patiently lined up outside the numerous Tim Hortons on Laurier just for their morning cup. Nobody has, of course, thought that it would be cheaper and tastier to have coffee before leaving home, or brew some coffee at work. Of course not! A Tim Hortons cup is much more of a status symbol than endulging in your drug alone where nobody can see you.

I suppose it's the perfect example of why Tim Hortons has been successful. They have managed to become a part of the culture. It is not only a status symbol to be seen drinking Tim Hortons coffee, but you are associating yourself with everything that goes along with the image. ie. Your average friendly Canadian, a hockey fan, a good father/mother, a participant in your community, etc. This is also why each year around Roll Up The Rim time, you get someone in the media complaining about how they don't win, and it always ends with Tim Hortons being the good guy, sending that person some free goodies. Oh boy! So I spent $500 through the year on coffee cups which end up on the street somewhere, and didn't win a damn thing. It's ok, though, because Tim Hortons rocks! So Canadian, eh!

On the matter of Tim Hortons coffee, it's a very funny situation. It's far from being great coffee. It's not too bad, but don't every try and drink it when it's just warm or even coolish. You'll quickly realize that this probably isn't real coffee, and instead some weird genetically modified chemical powder that ensures you get the exact same cup each time, year in year out. The final irony is in the ever-popular double-double. You're taking an already mild flavoured coffee and adding a ton of milk, and a ton of sugar. What more could say: "I love coffee!"?