Drinks 2026 | Editor's Letter

Editor’s Letter

When did you begin drinking coffee?

Reports show that many Gen Zers start sipping it at age 15, Millennials began between ages 18 and 20, and in some countries (such as Brazil, Mexico, and Columbia), it’s common for children to take their first drink of coffee at a young age.

I was a relatively late adopter. A friend introduced me to it when I was 17. We walked to a café near high school to grab a cup to help us stay alert and study. I took one chug of the pure black liquid, grimaced, and thrust the cup over to her. I couldn’t handle the harsh bitterness in my mouth, even if it would help me stay awake.

In my early 20s, I tasted a latte and fell madly in love with it. Adding a healthy dollop of dairy not only made coffee palatable, but absolutely delightful. I became a regular drinker ever since. In my mid-20s, I took a break from my journalism career to open and operate a coffeehouse. I dove into discovering coffee types, roasting styles, espresso drinks, and accoutrements. Mainly, I learned that owning a small retail food-and-drink operation is difficult, can be emotionally draining, and sucks up most of your time. I have great respect for those in the business, having experienced it myself.

In my 30s, I moved away from adding sugar and sugary syrup to my coffee. However, I still add a heavy pour of milk or cream in my one cup per day.

How do you take your coffee? We asked four locals to answer that question in a story for this issue.

Reno-Tahoe is alive with coffee culture. That’s why we are focusing on local coffee in this special Drinks edition.

Do you have a favorite neighborhood coffeehouse? Maybe you’ll find a new haunt in our list. We have a plethora of local roasters, too. Learn about several in our story.

Curious about cold brew? We unveil the intricacies behind it in this issue. And we offer suggestions for some great coffee cocktails.

I remember the first time I drank an Irish coffee. It was 27 years ago at The Buena Vista in San Francisco. I’ll never forget watching the bartender line up 20 glass mugs and quickly fill each full of coffee, whiskey, sugar, and cream. Just thinking about that warm, creamy deliciousness makes me want one right now. Learn how to make them in our story on Irish coffees.

We have all these stories and many more for you. I hope you enjoy them.

Cheers!