Yesterday I was in a four hour crash-course on liquor as part of the training for being on the opening staff of a new restaurant in Berkeley. The "class" was taught by a guy who is a partner in a company where all they do is liquor and bar consulting. He is crazy knowledgeable and I actually learned some cool stuff, but the point is he also still runs a bar consulting business and has a touch of the ego that you inevitably have when you are an expert on something that is actually quite hip. So here's this guy, wearing sunglasses because we're on a patio, rolled-up sleeves of his plaid button-down revealing some arm tattoos, nice hip dudely jeans, rambling on and on about how tequila is made. Ok, scene set?
What caught my eye is that, as he was pacing back and forth and spewing booze facts for four hours, he was drinking a lot because he was constantly talking. He started with a hot coffee definitely recently purchased, with the little cardboard hot guard around it, probably from some cool coffee shop around the corner. (Estimated price $2.25). Then he moved on to coconut water -- I can't stand the taste of the stuff but it sure is hip. (It was that big bottle - estimated price in the drugstore $3.50.) Finally he had some sort of iced oolong tea with something obnoxious to flavor it -- goji berries, or acai berries... something. (Estimated price $4.25.)
This brings my very made-up yet plausible estimated total cost to $10 for three beverages.
Now I guess that doesn't sound super high, especially when all these drinks are supposed to have a "good-for-you" twist (this is what adds the "hippie" to the "bouge" in this equation). All I know is that I had some coffee I brewed at home followed by free tap water. Whatever, HB booze expert man. Enjoy your hip healthy expensive bougey beverages.
