The tea battle continues
I: Hi. What's the "Signature Iced Tea?"
Cornerstone Cafe Girl: It's one of our specialty loose leaf teas, over ice, with Italian syrup.
I: Do I get to choose any of them, or is it pre-made?
Cornerstone Cafe Girl: It's pre-made, but we have three different flavours. Today we have Summer Spice, Lemon Breeze, and Black Citrus, which is really Earl Grey.
I: I'll try the Black Citrus, then. [Watches as she pours tea from a pitcher into a glass of ice cubes, and then reaches for the bottle of syrup.] Oh, actually, if the syrup isn't already mixed in, do you mind just leaving it out?
Cornerstone Cafe Girl: No syrup.
I: That's right — I'd rather not have the extra sugar.
Cornerstone Cafe Girl: Just the tea?
I: Just the tea, please.
Cornerstone Cafe Girl: Okay, no problem. Sure. There you go.
I sat down at a nearby table, and began reading a book as I happily sipped my cool tea, which went well with a warm 21 degree day. A few minutes later, a family entered the cafe and began ordering. Some familiar phrases caught my attention.
Cornerstone Cafe Girl: . . . We have Summer Spice, Lemon Breeze, and Black Citrus which. . . .
British Guy: No, no, no, can I just get an iced tea?
Cornerstone Cafe Girl: That is our iced tea.
British Guy: But not with the sugar and flavours and all of it, right? May I have some iced — some ordinary tea? Chilled or poured over ice?
Cornerstone Cafe Girl: Um, sure. [Glances at me, and then back at the other man.] We have some Earl Grey which I can put over ice for you.
British Guy: That would be splendid. Thank you.
See, Canada, I like you, and all, but this obsession with putting sugar in just about damn near everything is . . . well, it really is only you. I know that hearing it from someone from the already-very-sugar-obsessed US probably makes it even harder to take, but that's how it is. And before you try to deny it, try to tell me when sugar and blue cheese share equal portions in a salad dressing that some kind of line has not most definitely been crossed.
Sorry, my friend, to have to be the one to tell you.
Cornerstone Cafe Girl: It's one of our specialty loose leaf teas, over ice, with Italian syrup.
I: Do I get to choose any of them, or is it pre-made?
Cornerstone Cafe Girl: It's pre-made, but we have three different flavours. Today we have Summer Spice, Lemon Breeze, and Black Citrus, which is really Earl Grey.
I: I'll try the Black Citrus, then. [Watches as she pours tea from a pitcher into a glass of ice cubes, and then reaches for the bottle of syrup.] Oh, actually, if the syrup isn't already mixed in, do you mind just leaving it out?
Cornerstone Cafe Girl: No syrup.
I: That's right — I'd rather not have the extra sugar.
Cornerstone Cafe Girl: Just the tea?
I: Just the tea, please.
Cornerstone Cafe Girl: Okay, no problem. Sure. There you go.
I sat down at a nearby table, and began reading a book as I happily sipped my cool tea, which went well with a warm 21 degree day. A few minutes later, a family entered the cafe and began ordering. Some familiar phrases caught my attention.
Cornerstone Cafe Girl: . . . We have Summer Spice, Lemon Breeze, and Black Citrus which. . . .
British Guy: No, no, no, can I just get an iced tea?
Cornerstone Cafe Girl: That is our iced tea.
British Guy: But not with the sugar and flavours and all of it, right? May I have some iced — some ordinary tea? Chilled or poured over ice?
Cornerstone Cafe Girl: Um, sure. [Glances at me, and then back at the other man.] We have some Earl Grey which I can put over ice for you.
British Guy: That would be splendid. Thank you.
See, Canada, I like you, and all, but this obsession with putting sugar in just about damn near everything is . . . well, it really is only you. I know that hearing it from someone from the already-very-sugar-obsessed US probably makes it even harder to take, but that's how it is. And before you try to deny it, try to tell me when sugar and blue cheese share equal portions in a salad dressing that some kind of line has not most definitely been crossed.
Sorry, my friend, to have to be the one to tell you.