Too tall an order to place

Spring has sprung, which means we can finally see the sun and lounge on patios. For students, it’s the perfect time to enjoy iced coffee and other blended concoctions, but for your local baristas, this means double the trouble.

I was able to speak with Victoria Switzer, the manager at Coffee & Company, a local café located at Princess and King Streets, about the most annoying orders that baristas face and the number one most troublesome drink on their menu. So to all you aspiring baristas out there, take note.

Blended drinks are at the top of this list and at Coffee & Company, this infamous drink is dubbed “The Mocha Eruption.” Made from milk, chocolate syrup, espresso beans, and about five other ingredients, it is quite the hassle to create. Watching the baristas in their element and the speed at which these drinks are churned out, is quite impressive.

“The London Fog,” a student favourite was a close second next to the Mocha Eruption. It’s unfortunate that baristas don’t have as much fun making this Earl Grey and steamed milk blend as we do drinking it.

According to Stephanie Moore, another barista, any order longer than 5 words is too long. For starters, demands for extra shots, decaf (which rather defeats the purpose of coffee) and specificity on one pump of this and one pump of that just adds to the headache of the coffee shop rush. To add insult to injury, customers ask for their drink to be “extra hot”, forcing the barista to overheat the milk and essentially burn their own drink. However, the most ridiculous of all has to be the request for a skim milk alternative but the need for added whipped cream on top.

So next time you approach the coffee counter and ask for that extra pump of vanilla, or you’re strolling down the street sipping that extra hot London Fog of yours, just remember: behind those sweet smiles and caffeinated cups of Heaven are baristas who probably want to strangle you.

Tags

Barista, Coffee & Company, Drinks

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