eulogy

Edward Hopper
Nighthawks, 1942
Link: The Art Institute of Chicago

This Satan's drink is delicious...it would be a pity to let the infidels have exclusive use of it. We shall fool Satan by baptizing it.
— Pope Clement VIII

El Chamizo is caffeine-free. Well, not altogether (I’m still drinking tea), but definitely off arabica and robusta. No more freshly roasted Colombian, fruity Ethipoian, intoxicating Kona, silky-smooth Blue Mountain, humble Mexican, wild Mocha, romantic Sumatra, floral Java and exotically excreted Kopi Luak. Caffeine, turns out, is poison for Chamizo’s delicate system.

Caffeine is a natural pesticide that paralyzes and kills certain insects feeding on the plants. Could this be connected in any way to our worldwide addiction to the brown elixir? When first introduced to the Arab world via Ethiopia, orthodox Muslims prohibited coffee because of its stimulant effects. The Vatican also tried banning the Arabian wine, until Pope Clement VIII got hooked after a mere sip.

Link: Socyberty