I started on the path to serious addiction at an early age: My middle school was just down the street from a PJ’s Coffee franchise, and after a brief flirtation with the gateway drug known as granita, I was soon hitting the hard stuff – iced coffee – almost every day.
When I went away to college in Missouri, I knew I would have to find a supplier quickly. Imagine my horror, though, when I walked into a coffee shop on campus and ordered an iced coffee – and the barista furrowed her brow and then slowly filled a cup with ice and poured hot coffee over it, looking at me curiously the whole time.
When I finally returned to New Orleans, I quickly resumed my love affair with real iced coffee. Given that research now shows that coffee can reduce the risk of certain cancers, dementia and diabetes, there’s really no harm in indulging this addiction in moderation. So as the days get truly unbearable, I will be supplementing my snowballs and sangrias with the perfect summer pick-me-up. And yes, I can quit anytime – but why on earth would I want to?
