Contemporary Conformist Values: COFFEE

coffee-weird
Coffee: Why is it more than just a drink?
Why are your beans roasted by guys with beards?
Why do you feel like you have to dress like a contemporary conformist to even enter a coffee shop with ‘coffee that tastes way better than Starbucks’?
Why do contemporary conformists value ‘coffee’ / ‘the local coffee shop’ so much?

To a contemporary conformist, there’s more to coffee than just beans in water…

The Coffee Shop Aesthetic & The Contemporary Conformist Consumer Experience

pops-of-color
It is the sole purpose of the Contemporary Conformist to find a set of restaurants, brands, stores, shops, and other places to spend their money where they believe they belong. This is the mission of any consumer, but the ‘local coffee shop’ that is not a chain and is a ‘relatively new brand’ seems to be built as a playground for ContempConformies.

The contemporary conformist coffee shop offers a design aesthetic/set of colors that reinforces the Contemporary Conformist outfits of chambray/plaid/gingham/girls in stripes/girls in seafoam, coral, and lapis with J. Crew Statement necklaces. They feel ‘free’, ‘comfy’ and ‘at home’ in the contemporary conformist establishment. This is a classist barrier where ‘normals’/lamestreamers can still feel good about their syrup pumped Starbucks frappy, while contemp_conforms are ‘tasting luxury’ with high level floral-wave notes in locally sourced coffee beans.
small-lot coffee
This is not the era of the ‘comfy’ coffee shop where bohemians would gather to drink shitty coffee on couches that should have been left on the curb. This is a place where your taste buds are stimulated with richness, acidity, or whatever flavor profile ‘represents’ the coffee shop.
bad-coffee-central-perk
This is our meeting place. We can ‘vent’ after work. They also have beer/wine, in case it was a ‘rough’ day at the middle class job.
coffee-hit-the-club
Contemporary Conformists use the coffee shop as a place to gather with their contemporary conformist circles. They use it as a ‘safe’ daytime meeting spot for Tinder dates so they can prove they are ‘cultured’ to one another without the pressure of dinner/drinks/intimacy.

‘Good coffee’ doesn’t even have to taste good. If you are a high level contemporary conformist, you can say that ‘the way you like it’ is ‘the best’ and use that to connect/argue with other passionate contemporary conformists.

latte-art-contemporary-conformists
Take a photo of the latte art.
Post it to the social network.
This is organic marketing.
Referrals from ‘real people’.
Geotagging, hashtagging.
Creating a fear of missing out
By sharing their cultural experiences with other people who have not yet culturally experienced the ‘authentic’ new coffee shop.

“I like ur Redwings.”
latte-art

The Coffee Shop Biz Model / Fulfilling Employment Pyramid

roasting-coffee-beans
Coffee has artisanal vibes. It ‘meets the needs of a community.’ It is scalable in a local way that makes conteporary conformists feel like they are ‘supporting local.’ It allows the enslaved employees to dress like contemporary conformists to feel as though they ‘have a career’ as ‘a barista.’ This is way better than dressing in ‘a black uniform’ to be a shitty Starbucks employee. They are a national chain/brand.

The boss trusts my palette. I am able to participate in cuppings.
cupping-coffee-practice
The coffee shop owner is usually an ‘independently wealthy’ person who has an affinity for the contemporary conformist lifestyle. They went on a trip to South America and experienced ‘authentic’ bean harvesting/roasting and think they are Anthony-Bordain-wave/on an eternal spirit journey. They believe that their coffee shop is ‘making a difference in the community.’ It probably is, but more importantly, they are BANKING off the contemporary conformist demand for ‘better than Starbucks’ coffee.

There is also a ‘coffee shop owner’ that ‘started small’ but had a ‘passion’ for great coffee. They built a brand at local events / farmers markets, eventually saving/raising enough capital to build their own contemporary conformist superstore. This is the small business dream of all contemporary conformists (And humans) [via fulfillment].
men-with-beards-coffee
Do u ever feel like u can’t go in2 a coffee shop without perfectly gelled hair / a fine beard / a statement necklace?
statement-necklace

The Process of Coffee

coffee-beans-sack
Coffee can be ‘made’ different ways. I have no idea how it all works. I think there is ‘espresso’ and there is ‘American vibed coffee’ that is all boring. There is ‘pour over.’ French press is a thing. I had an exGF who ‘insisted’ that French Press created the best tasting coffee. All I know is that it required a coffee grinder, and then you had to clean it out, which was kinda annoying since the beans were coarse.

Wanna go on a roasting spirit journey? See how it’s really made? Really ‘connect’ with ‘the earth’ and ‘the process’ behind the whole journey? Africa? South America? Where do they serve the best Modern American Cuisine?
coffee-spirit-journey
“Let’s also stop by the PURE COCAINE farm.” -not very contempconformie

Anyways, every1 gets to talk about how their process ‘brings out the best flavors.’ There is no ‘right way’ to drink coffee, but you can still ‘bond’ with people about why certain methods are ‘the best.’ You can go to a shop that doesn’t allow you to put your own milk / sugar / fake sweetener because they truly ‘know what the fuck’ coffee is supposed to taste like because they have gone on their own goddamn coffee spirit journeys and you are just some idiot looking for ‘a dessert replacement.’
cold-brew-method
I am so lost.
How do I find the best coffee evr?
I guess I just have to keep trying different coffees
And convincing myself I am ‘on a journey’ that ‘few’ could appreciate
My palette is warping.
It’s changing
I appreciate more than the soda pop my parents forced down my throat as a child
I am the evolved contemporary conformist.

What is the most auth coffee experience?

coffee bean harvest
I just want to see an man of Incan descent who is under 5 ft tall but could climb an Andes Mountain in about 30 minutes because of his lung capacity harvest some beans for me. He can shittily roast them over some unregulated flame. He will go to a dirty river and get some water that looks as brown as coffee already. He will step on the beans with his dirty feet to ‘grind’ them, getting his natural oils/bloods/life/culture into the grounds. He will pour the grinds into the coffee, allowing them to sit for 48 hours in the sun, fermenting into some hallucinogen.

I will then know what the most auth coffee in the world is. It will be the only thing that helps me 2 understand why coffee matters so much 2 contemporary conformists. And I will pay him about $20 for this cup of coffee, turning me into his God of Coffee.

I am the Coffee God. [via Incans who have multiple Gods]

////////////////
What is the most auth coffee?
Got any good coffee tips?
What is the best contemporary conformist coffee shop in your town? [Please comment or email me.] Instagram link is probably most optimal
Is coffee good 2 drink, or too contemporary conformist?
Should we all just drink tap water?
Folgers Instant vibes?
Why do contemporary conformists need to ‘appreciate’ their interests more than other ppl appreciate their interests?
How did the Contemporary Conformist coffee shop create ‘the perfect aesthetic’ that requires no Instagram filter?
Is latte art for ‘pussies’?
Who drinks ‘real milk’ anyways?
Almond? Soy? Protein replacement milk vibes?
What do u order in a coffee shop?
Are coffee shops just too contemporary conformist 2 enjoy?
Why is coffee something worth ‘being passionate abt’?
Wanna roast some beans on our George Foreman grill 2nite?

What is the deal with Contemporary Conformists? [Part 1] [Part 2] [The Bus]

Previous auth p0sts

Related topix: , ,

Read more blogs abt Internet Theory
  • JacquiChan

    Carles is the genius voice of a generation.

  • Flannery O’Douls

    this is turning into stuff white people like…at least these posts have teeth

    • Bronello_Cucinelli

      contempconfo does not discriminate by race

      • Flannel Bro O’Doughboy

        Yea whatever u dork

        • your dad who owns you

          calling that poor sap a dork suggests that u think yr pretty cool, but i have bad news for you friendo: you are extremely not cool even a little bit

          • Flabbergastronomy

            U sound like a cop. Are u an intelligence asset?

  • poor

    i can dig some 7-11 coffee vibes as well as duncan donets & starboxes.

  • manofmanynames

    This series is AMAZING. Thanks for brightening my days, carles.

    Latte art really makes me sick [via disgust].

  • Kevathens

    Carles :( I wish you weren’t so bitter after all this. Ugh.

    • Kevathens

      Thanks for the posts, though, very fun

  • coolguy69@hotmail.com

    Feel like we’re due for the Contempo-Conformo coffee sequel to Sideways, starring Paul Giamatti’s son.

  • Youth Group Bro

    Carles, my peen has not gone soft since you started this series, thnx bro.

  • dat_bro06

    I work in the ultimate ContempConformie office space — there is even a Blue Bottle ‘in the alley behind our bldg.’ There are beards. There are man buns.

    Ppl treat me like poo bcuz I drink Mountain Do … I say, it the same thing (via caffeine), my PS4_Taco Bell waves are no better/worse than ur Art Latte waves,

    Bruh

    • manofmanynames

      You poor bb. Are you ever tempted to cut the buns? How much does the bun’n’beard brigade bum you out on a scale of 1-10?

  • https://twitter.com/theericlarson Obscure Cactus

    *waits patiently for contemporary conformist values: craft beer*

  • carles #1 fan

    let’s do it re foreman grill

    sittin in the back yard

    roastin

    spring time w carles and the crew

  • Sierra

    so basically carles is reinventing the hipster barista meme

    • your dad who owns you

      i am not sure you ‘get it’

      • Sierra

        probably not. i don’t ‘get’ anything these days.

  • http://www.twitter.com/macostarz macostarz

    lost it at “coffee spirit journeys”

    Carles, you have no idea how much coffee was spilled reading your musings today…

    With that in mind, ‘eff’ coffee. Clearly tea is is the genuine auth beverage of choice.

    #kavakava

  • PringerX

    thank u carles, love you bb

  • carles #1 fan

    carles, do u bring extra negative vibes into my life,

    or am i just a negative ass person attracting this dark energy to me every where i go?

    pls answer asap yams rip in peace loved your wine birthmark

  • stewart

    Very nice

  • melee

    Third wave coffee house vibes

  • BLEH

    for real tho, third wave coffee is deece

    man reps the v60 personally

  • Katie Rosebraugh

    At last I have found a kindred spirit.

  • Katie Rosebraugh

    Although Carles does spell like the Contemporary Conformists do. So there’s that. :-/

  • swagv

    Thanks for fighting the War on Preciousness, Carles.

  • super baking xtreme

    United By Blue is a combination coffee shop and “outdoorsy” clothing store, based in Philly (http://unitedbyblue.com/). Only difference I see between it and other contempconformies is that its look is rooted in “people who go hiking ten times a year” rather than nostalgia for something they didn’t experience

  • JuicyDingo

    so newer local coffee shops will always be CC until they stop trying to be profitable and popular? did carles incorporated become too CC for it to handle so it had to regroup as a truly auth enterprise (meaning no scalability, meaning no growth in viewers or profits)?

  • noice1

    our contempie conformist coffe shop is in a small new zealand town nd it is called kush :~)

  • Christopher

    This was great. Great job analyzing coffee culture. You really spin a great narrative with this analysis. I enjoyed the portion about becoming a coffee god particularly. I look forward to reading your new entries as we continue this dialogue via the internet in the future.

  • Megan Mussari

    Brooklyn Ball Factory – takes about 15 minutes to make 1 cup of coffee.

    http://instagify.com/tag/95rpm