Coffee, that jittery, brown stimulant of the overworked, is the unofficial national religion of Britain. First coming to these shores in the 16th century, coffee has remained a staple in getting us through our day. Fast forward to the specialty coffee shops of East London today, and you can see just how dramatically coffee has evolved - mine's a pink bourbon carbonic maceration, thanks. Back in the mid-1980s, however, and coffee, much like us, was a simpler, less pretentious affair.
Produced by St Michael, this coffee glass originally came as a set of two with a set of plastic mixing spoons. The glass - a singular affair as its sibling suffered the ignominy of a cracked bottom - is a beautifully minimalist design, in that kitsch, workaday way the 1980s did so well. Glass body, red plastic handle - that insistent shade of red which decorated everything. And to complete the set, a cork coaster, presumably to protect your Habitat coffee table from the sweaty rings of Nescafé.
There's always something pleasurable about drinking coffee out of a glass. The material lends itself to a neutral, clean taste, so it's truly all about the complexities of the coffee (unless you're drinking a Starbucks). This, combined with it's simplistic design, delivers a pleasurable drinking experience. So, are there any drawbacks? Well, yes, there's one major issue: the size. Only holding 180ml of liquid, it's far from suitable for a standard cup of coffee. I make my coffee in a V60 with a carafe, so it's easy enough to top up but it's still a mild faff.
The box was dated 1985 - the year of Live Aid, New Coke and The Breakfast Club - so this little coffee glass is a true relic of the past. It's not valuable. It doesn't signify a major cultural turning point. But it's an absolute delight to drink my morning coffee from.
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