Iced Coffee, Erin Webb

Iced Coffee

Erin Webb

Iced coffee is North America’s favourite summertime beverage; soothing, sweet, and satisfying. Over the last 10 years, the iced coffee industry has boomed, from Tim Horton’s infamous Iced Capp to the introduction of Starbucks’ Nitro Cold Brew. However, I think iced coffee is symbolic of the adolescent desire to explore their identity, fit in with peers, and experience new things. After emerging from a childhood where drinking coffee is discouraged or even banned, the urge to caffeinate is exciting. The problem is that black coffee is bitter to the naïve tastebud making flavoured, sweet, iced coffees the perfect transition. This became apparent to me during my community placement when I offered the 16-year-old students water, tea, or coffee. To my surprise, most of the class said something along the lines of “Yes, coffee!!”, along with sentiments like “I need coffee after my all-nighter,” and “I am so tired”. But when I began pouring cups of steamy drip coffee, I was met with looks of disappointment until one student said, “Wait, don’t you have ice?”. Almost everyone proceeded to fill their mugs with ice cubes, sugar, and whipped cream. The ability to customize an iced coffee provides the consumer with an outlet to try on new identities. For instance, the addition of a shot of pumpkin syrup might portray the “fall girl aesthetic”, whereas drinking a black, espresso might make one feel fancy and mature. In this way, the type of coffee you’re drinking on a given day can be an expression of self, like trying out a new hairstyle. Additionally, iced coffee is a teenage status symbol. Several studies show that adolescents drink caffeinated beverages to fit in and enhance their social image. In one focus group studying caffeine use in adolescents, teenagers were quoted saying “I don’t even like coffee, I just do it to fit in” and, “It’s cool to walk around with an iced coffee” (Ludden et al., 2017). As a high school student, if everyone in your friend circle brings a Frappuccino to class every day, you might feel left out or even be bullied if you don’t do the same. Furthermore, going out for coffee is an inherently social activity. As adults, we often catch up with friends over coffee or take coffee breaks with colleagues, it is built into our daily lives, but for teenagers, the experience of getting coffee is new and thrilling. It is fun to leave school for lunch with your friends to try the newest flavour of the month. It also provides an opportunity to meet different people outside of your classmates, demonstrated by the classic romantic comedy trope of developing a crush on the barista or the boy who always sits at the back of the café. Altogether, iced coffee is an outlet for self-expression, a means to feel included, and an opportunity to explore new people, places, and things. Academic Source:

Ludden, A. B., O'Brien, E. M., & Pasch, K. E. (2017). Beliefs, behaviors, and contexts of adolescent caffeine use: a focus group study. Substance Use & Misuse, 52(9), 1196-1207. Non-academic source: Pellot, E. (2022, March 9). High school teacher sets up ‘Iced Coffee Bar’ for her morning students. In the Know. https://www.intheknow.com/post/high-school-teacher-iced-coffee-bar/