When we visited Germany last May, we noticed lots of newly established ‘coffee to go’ places. The cult to take coffee with you in the car or while walking is nothing new to Canada. As a matter of fact, we often make use of it here in Canada and are even perfectly equipped for it.
Of course you can get your cuppa at chains like Starbucks, Waves and Tim Hortons but it’s much more fun to order a cup in small grocery stores, general stores or at gas stations – far away from the influence of big coffee chains.
Usually two glass pots are filled with coffee and people can help themselves by simply filling up their cup. Milk, milk powder, sugar and sometimes cinnamon or cocoa can be added and for the paper cups there are plastic lids, of course. We are now well equipped with our own mugs.
Mug – the coffee cup on the go
Our mugs are actually thick-walled cups with handles. Since the 1980s there is also a ‘travel mug’, with insulation and a lid to drink hot and cold drinks on the road (source: Wikipedia). Probably every Canadian has a mug like that. Often you see people with these travel mugs walking the streets – on their way home or to the office. At Tim Hortons and Starbucks the mugs will even be rinsed before being filled up.
At a gas station we got to fill up our mugs for free – great service. This raises the spirits again after having spent $200 on gas.