About the time I met Cold Brew Coffee by Martin Sy-quia

I had recently reconnected with my friend Nick, as I found out from a mutual friend that we were in

the same boat, trying to start out our own businesses, and at the same time, trying to untangle ourselves

from our mom’s apron strings. So after close to 10 years of not seeing him since High School, (save for

a chance movie night somewhere in between) I found myself in his house, swapping ideas with how to

move a food business forward.

While in the middle of an amusing story about a mutual friend who was into network marketing, Nick

asked me,

“Hey, would you like some coffee?”

 

I haven’t had coffee for a while, since at that time my wife was in her 1st

to a no-coffee rule at home. But since it was offered, I was happy to say yes.

Now, Nick’s a pretty fancy guy, in a pretty nice house (that’s not his), and so I was curious as to what

type of coffee he’d serve me.

He brought out a device which I recognized as something my parents would steep their coffee in, save

for something interesting; the water wasn’t hot.

“What’s that, dude?”

“Oh, this is cold brew coffee. I tried it some time ago, and I actually prefer it this way.”

“Oh okay.” I watched him pour it into a cup.

“Here, try it.”

I took a sip. I realized how little of the world I knew.

It wasn’t that it was special coffee beans that he used, nor was it the surprising coolness that hit my

mouth while drinking it. It smelled great, and tasted great, but the effect on me was more than that.

As I sat back in my chair, amid the worries about our start up business, I felt like I had made it.

Nick had raised my status in life, with a cup of coffee.

My thoughts wandered, and I was content.

I felt no need to move out of my mom’s old office.

 

Martin Sy-quia, owner of Canley’s Cuisne, is a mechanical engineer turned food entrepreneur and soon-to-be, father, who’s passions and smarts has lead him to become a slow-cooked chili purveyor. You can find him during weekends selling his 6 varieties of chili and playing his violin in the Legaspi Sunday Market from 7am to 2pm.