Starbucks Where Are You?: Drinking coffee in multiple countries

My relationship with Starbucks did not start out on a good footing. The first attempt that the mega-coffee-giant made to move in to my neighborhood was ill-conceived as they sought to lease the space already housing a local family-run and neighborhood institution - an Italian style coffee house. Needless to say the outcry from the community was loud and eventually Starbucks decided to seek a different location.

Slowly, very slowly, over the years they gently lured and seduced me with the consistency of their product. Yet, truthfully, while back home in Toronto I would often chose more local coffee suppliers .... but I could always rely on Starbucks to deliver a pretty good latte, regardless of which outlet I visited.

I 'Christmas' (is that a verb?) every year in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, where my mother escapes from a cold prairie winter. For many years obtaining a decent cup of coffee was a challenge and although the occasional coffee shop would open up, they always seemed to have disappeared or moved by the following year. This year, the eternal search for a decent and reliable latte in Puerto Vallarta ended as Starbucks has now established themselves in my 'second home'.

September found me in Ireland visiting friends, and lo and behold, I was pleased to find that carrying a Starbucks cup around is about as ubiquitous to Dubliners as it is to Torontonians or New Yorkers. Outside of Dublin however.... well.... we wouldn't necessarily want a Starbucks in every village would we.... some native charm should be preserved I think.

I was raised by descendants of Norwegian immigrants and I was brought up to believe that Norwegians pretty much had coffee in their veins... there was always a pot boiling on the stove. Yes, I said boiling! In my community coffee was drunk hot and strong and with every meal. My visit to Norway in the autumn was all I dreamed it would be... including cake and coffee served about 5 times a day by every relative I met. The Norwegians indeed love their coffee... and while I didn't find a Starbucks in the country... you could get a latte (although not a GREAT one) in pretty much any convenience store, regardless of the size of the village.

The Swedes also love their coffee, but they haven't yet embraced the 'mobile' coffee culture.... however everything stops mid afternoon when the coffee shops fill up and friends meet for a social break. You gotta love their tradition of providing nice comfy blankets on their outdoor patios to keep you warm while you sip away in the brisk chill of a Swedish autumn afternoon. Starbucks hasn't moved in there yet either.

I've been spending this winter in a small beach town in Nicaragua. Coffee is a major export crop for Nicaragua and real coffee aficionados know that some of the best beans in the world come from this small country in Central America. Unfortunately, as is the case for many poor countries, most of the good beans get exported and the locals are left drinking whatever is left over. Plus, coffee doesn't really seem to be in the culture here - and you are just as likely to get served a cup of weak instant coffee in a restaurant as any other type.

Fortunately in a few choice spots (mostly ones that cater to an ex-pat culture) some really excellent organic coffee is served up. My favourite so far is a great latte served at the Gato Negro Coffee Shop here in San Juan del Sur. Although North American brand names are beginning to make their mark here (there is a Subway sandwich shop here!) I think it will be quite some time before Starbucks will be challenging Gato Negro for coffee customers. I think that is just OK.

All this coffee talk.... think I'll just run over to Gato Negro for a bit.