Many people across the globe, myself included, wake up each morning and head to the kitchen to grab their first cup of freshly brewed coffee before they face the stresses and strains of the day ahead.  Many of these same people are known by their loved ones as absolute grumps who must be avoided at all costs until they have successfully finished that first cup of coffee.

But over the past twenty years, coffee has become more than just a quick pick me up.  It has found it's way into our daily ritual, established itself in book stores and shopping malls, and transformed itself from a simple hot drink to a complex status symbol that makes a statement about who we are.  Double espresso with sweetener for the career focused thirty something; non-fat, dairy-free, decaf latte for the health conscious woman desperate to lose weight; coffee made with Fair Trade beans and organic soy milk for the socially aware and a double mocha with whipped cream and chocolate shavings for women with PMS.