Derek Thompson has written for "The Atlantic" about how soda consumption is on the way down, and coffee is on the way up in the last 10 years.
"Ten years ago, Americans drank enough soda every year to fill a small aquarium. Fifty-three gallons of the stuff per person. That's half a liter of Diet Coke on an average day. Compare that to our other favorite liquid-caffeine companion. For every cup of coffee we consumed in 2003, we drank two cups of soft drink. For $1 we spent on joe, we spent $4 on soda?
I think he is missing something in the article, and that is the rise of specialty coffee companies and the drinks they create. When you go to your local coffeehouse or Starbucks, all you have to do is listen to a typical order, "I'd like a triple grande soy sugar free caramel latte, with whipped cream." Never mind how wrong that drink sounds for the moment. That isn't a "Coke" being opened. That is someone heading to a local place and getting a variation of coffee.
Starbucks can easily be linked to this, as every year they come up with a new coffee concoction. Whether iced or cold, Starbucks introduces younger generations to coffee via specialty drinks. It costs more than soda to be sure. We can argue if a drink like I listed is better for you. I weigh in on the side that it's probably not any better for you than Pepsi.
Never the less, the advent of the innovative coffee drinks can be tied to the downward spiral of soda consumption. I wonder though, are these people also drinking a regular coffee, or are they just going for the exotic? My guess is they do both. I am betting they have coffee at home, and the specialty drink when they go out.
My drink of choice is coffee, but when I have a special drink, it's usually a soy latte.
Charlie
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