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Monday, April 24, 2023

Dr. Ed Iannuccilli, Columnist

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Pariwat Pannium, Unsplash

Some years ago, my disgruntled, tired, hot, and agitated friend asked the waitress, "Do you have iced coffee?" --- No, Sir, we do not.

He rolled his eyes, tapped his knuckles on the counter, and barked, "Do you have coffee?" --- Yes, Sir."

"Do you have ice?" ---Yes, Sir."

"Do you have a glass?" ---- Yes, Sir

"Well then, put hot coffee in it, mix it with ice, and bring me an iced coffee!"

The other day, I read that someone declared it was the beginning of the iced coffee season and thus, albeit early, the beginning of summer. Really? So what about iced coffee today? Why has it become such a favorite?

My parents had a never-ending stash of iced coffee in a glass jug in the ice box, and they went to it often. Open the freezer, shake out some cubes from the cavity of the ice tray, refill the tray with water, return it to the freezer, add the cubes to the glass, add the milk (always before the coffee), add the coffee, tinkle, tinkle, and voila, iced coffee. Only in summer. Simple.

What is the origin of iced coffee and why is it so dammed expensive in the coffee bar today? Historians trace iced coffee's roots back to 1840 Algeria. Known as Mazagran, this sweet and cold coffee beverage originated from the French military during the Battle of Mazagran. When the French army ran out of milk, they added water to the coffee instead and drank it cold because of the brutal outdoor heat of the day.

When the veterans returned to Paris and suggested the idea to café owners, café Mazagran officially made its debut in France and the rest of the world and took on different variations.

In 1920, iced coffee was marketed in the United States and became widely popular. That's most likely when my parents, addicted coffee drinkers, got hooked and made it their summer beverage.

Nowadays, when I go into coffee shops, I notice how popular iced coffee is, particularly among young people. This popularity is rumbling along at quite a pace, as the young generation seems more likely to drink cold coffee rather than hot because there is a more flavorful and more nuanced drinking experience. Whatever. But my goodness, the expense. My parents would have considered it an unaffordable luxury.

And, to add to the cold coffee journey, it is now available in easy-to-purchase cans in grocery stores. Gad! How tough can it be to make your own at home? And how much less expensive.

Right now, I am sitting in a coffee shop, and I hear the scintillating sound of a frappuccino blender. What, a machine to make iced coffee? Wait, wait, was that a dollop of whipped cream they put on that iced coffee? What, five dollars? Oh, dear. I have an idea. Go to the refrigerator, shake out some cubes from the ice tray into a glass, pour the milk and . . .

And for my disgruntled friend? He needs never worry again.

Dr. Ed Iannuccilli is the author of three popular memoirs, "Growing up Italian; Grandfather's Fig Tree and Other Stories", "What Ever Happened to Sunday Dinner" and "My Story Continues: From Neighborhood to Junior High." NOW, he has written his fourth book "A Whole Bunch of 500 Word Stories."