Dear Reader, 

An experienced journalist from the Washington Examiner once said, “Nobody reads the Letter from the Editor but your mom.” Taking this advice to heart, I have decided to break the mold and go wild. Instead of trying to contrive an imaginary theme for this issue, let’s talk about coffee. 

You are not a wimp for liking milk in your coffee. 

Sure, the strong, acidic taste of black coffee denotes strength and stoutness. Drinking it bequeaths resoluteness, alertness, and energy. But coffee is more than virtue signaling or a tool to stay awake. It is a beverage to be enjoyed for its own sake. 

Black drip coffee and straight espresso can have a delightful taste, especially when skillfully brewed from quality beans. Adding milk enhances this yummy flavor and adds a sweet creamy texture to the liquid caffeine. Regular cream or steamed milk does not take away from but increases the enjoyment of an already enjoyable drink. 

While milk adds to good coffee, sugar saves bad coffee. A sugar packet covers a multitude of brewing sins and transforms undrinkable blackness to a bearable beverage. It is the only way of surviving dining room coffee. Quality coffee does not need such assistance. Rather than aiding, sugar’s potent sweetness distracts from the subtle notes of flavor good beans yield, destroying the point of the beverage. 

Finding such quality coffee is difficult. Most coffee shop cups need the extra boost sugary  syrup can give them and that is the sad truth of the world. So rather than shaming the latte lovers or syrup sippers, remember coffee is to be enjoyed and sometimes it takes more than the coffee itself to enjoy it. 

So, grab a cuppa and enjoy reading this issue of The Hillsdale Forum. 

Anna Leman, Editor-in-Chief