As a budding high school student, I never enjoyed the taste of coffee. It was bitter, made me jittery and frankly was just too expensive for my small saving account. That all changed spring semester of my first year of college when I desperately needed a pick-me-up at 11:30 at night with 2-3 more hours of studying to go. I would do the usual– dump creamer into the disposable cup filled with the hot, brown liquid until it tasted more like creamer than coffee but hey, it gave me t
he kick I needed.
By the summer, I was hooked on coffee. I needed at least one cup a day to avoid the caffeine headache but I didn’t want the black stuff. I wanted the tan goodness that tasted like French Vanilla. When I started college for the second year, I was still having my coffee that way and I enjoyed it more than the average person, just never black. Next thing I know, I am a private contractor for a coffee company called Ugandan Gold and they are asking me to sell their product. But the dreaded question was asked – have you ever tried our coffee? The answer was unfortunately, “No, but I’ll give it a shot.”
My bosses arrived the next week with samples but they did not bring any creamer to dull the bitterness I always tasted (I mean, who wouldn’t bring creamer?). I didn’t want to be rude so I was obliged to taste some, very nervous of what my stomach would experience in the 3-5 minutes we all had coffee. I braced myself for impact as I took my first sip, expecting the bitterness and cowboy coffee taste. Luckily, I experienced quite the opposite. The drink was delicious. The kind of beverage that didn’t just warm up your stomach but warmed up your whole soul.
Since that first sample, I am an absolute fan. I found myself in my car on the way to market to buy my own bag (more affordable than other brands, by the way) and I am now obsessed. Every morning, my joy is my Ugandan Gold Coffee with a little creamer (sorry, I can’t help myself). There is little residue in the bottom of the cup, the consistency is always smooth, and it makes my entire being happy. It gets me through my morning classes. If I, the reluctant fan of coffee, can appreciate Ugandan Gold Coffee, you can, too.
