being of the mormon religion, i don't drink coffee products or any hot, caffeinated beverages. however, i feel that lds people are missing out on one of the great pleasures of life by not being creative with what we drink. from my life-long experience as a latter-day saint attending mormon social functions, i've noticed that are drink options usually consist of water, punch, juice, or hot chocolate. we being an extremely busy and peculiar ;) sort of people, we tend to do things at a fast pace. we don't just hang about talking, unless it involves competition (ie sports, a board game), a meal, or church.
so lds people have no concept of social drinking. the idea of spirit in the community via bar or coffee shop is totally lost. there are obvious reasons behind this: places and activities where alcohol is the norm are generally discouraged as places to solicit by lds leaders. so, tier one of the virgin lips project is to provide a place that's a substitute for alcohol.
but what about hot drinks? what about the coffee shop? there are, once you look and get creative, a wide variety of delicious hot drinks that are consistent with the word of wisdom.
"sinner!" some may say to me for soliciting the business of starbucks, but you know what, meh. i love the drinks--hello, i'm a seattleite--and you should try them too. they're delicious. if you're like me and you like having something like this everyday, then the $2 + spare change a pop adds up rather quickly.
list of suggestions of things that you can make at home for a cheaper solution, as well as noncoffee products to look for in coffee houses:
*decaf mochas: (that's hot chocolate, with a shot of decaf coffee)
*white/dark hot chocolate blends
*decaf chai tea (add some milk to make a latte)
*decaf teas: there's a variety of herbals out there, as well as green & ginger
*apple cider
*hot milk, esp. hot soy milk with honey or caramel
*vanilla bean products
*decaf herbal hazlenut coffee
coffee syrups, available at restaurant supply stores like cash n' carry, are a good way to add some flavor and flair to your beverage. other ideas are adding cinnamon, nutmeg, whipping cream, half & half, ground chocolate, marshmallows, m&m's, and of course all kinds of sugar. i even see packets of raw sugar out there.
get creative and remember, drinking and social drinking can be a pleasurable event! the coffeehouse is not evil! meanwhile, don't ignore the calorie value of these drinks simply because you sip or slup it into your body rather than eat. if loaded with extras, think of it as dessert in liquid form.
cheers!
