How To Hold Your Drink

A practical guide for those infrequent Filter Coffee drinkers

Filter Coffee is a staple in South of India especially Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. If you thought these two states fight over Cauvery water, the real war happens over who makes Filter Coffee better. What’s not a debate is the fact that both states have people who drink this dark brew at least 3 times in a day, the first cup signaling the beginning of the day when downed.

One of the mark of a good filter coffee is, other than the technical aspects of flavour, freshness and froth, that it is piping hot.

If it’s not just-off-the-stove-and-ready-to-scald-the-tongue hot, it’s straight up classified as cold. And, unforgivingly sent back.

Veteran coffee drinkers, I have seen, in homes and darshinis, pick up these singeing glasses or ‘tumblers’ and down the boiling point liquids as if they suddenly have an invisible insulation on their fingers, lips and tongue.

As an infrequent Filter Coffee drinker, I have a record for burning my tongue every single time and waiting for my taste buds to feel sensation again for days. The burning begins ever before I take a sip. Whether steel, ceramic or paper, I have burnt my tender fingertips from just carrying the coffee from the self-service counter to the table.

And, I get many a raised eyebrows when I wait 3-4 minutes for the coffee to let off some steam, before I take it to my lips and take the first cautious mini sip.

Today, I was served coffee in a clear glass cup in a packed darshini. When I asked for a saucer, I was met with laugher. I drew in a deep breath and picked it up but had to rush my way through to the first table pushing past men having their evening tiffin, quickly dropping the glass and nursing my fingers, explaining myself, “Tumba bisi ide.” More laughter. Recovering after a few minutes, I was mustering the courage to move past the stop-over to the final destination three steps away. One kind man gave me an enlightening tip.

“Place it in your palm.”

It worked. The base was thicker and not as hot and gave me not just a mili second of insulation but also some confidence.

I made it to the partly empty table ahead with the glass in my plam thinking, I’d taken the first step into the Filter Coffee drinkers club.

Only to  realise that while I waited for the coffee to cool, no one else was holding their coffee like I and those who had got coffee after me were starting their scooters and leaving.