Baristas Are Sharing The Stereotypes They Assign To Popular Drink Orders, And I Feel Called Out
If you're anything like me, you probably love a good cup of coffee. And while it's nice to branch out and try new things, I think it's safe to say that a lot of us have that one drink that's our go-to. Well, I got to wondering — what does my barista assume about me based on my order?
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Naturally, I asked baristas in the BuzzFeed Community to share the stereotypes they associate with certain popular drink orders. Let's just say...they spilled the beans. Here are 17 common coffee shop orders, and what they say about you:
1.A black coffee
"A 45-year-old ordering a black cup of coffee? They like their black coffee.
A 20-year-old? College kid that takes Philosophy and is trying to impress his friends and/or a date and makes a huge snooty deal out of being 'so young' and having 'defined taste.' LIARS, ALL OF THEM! I have seen kids do this so much, then when no one is looking, ask for cream and sugar or go to the milk bar."
"It's always some judgmental douchebag, especially if it's a pour-over."
2.Tea
"My favorite people — cool and patient and willing to have a polite chat."
"You are fancy and I love it. Or you hate coffee. These are 50/50 for me, but the tea drinkers that hate coffee ALWAYS. MAKE IT. KNOWN. Shut up."
3.A non-caffeinated (like strawberry or vanilla bean) Frappuccino
"This person is a kid and/or an adult with the day off."
4.A flavored latte
"YA BASIC! And I love you, no problem. Usually very nice people, not fussy, tip well."
"Flavored latte/mochas are soccer moms and grandmas. There's a good chance you're wearing Uggs or Birkenstocks."
5.A pour-over
"At this point, I assume anybody who orders a pour-over is going to spend the next couple of minutes rolling their eyes and gesturing rudely in my direction, before finally coming up to ask where their drink is…before any pour-over would reasonably be finished."
6.A white chocolate mocha
"You're Gen Z. For a while, you’d rarely hear an 'iced white mocha' without the follow-up of 'with sweet cream cold foam and caramel drizzle.' We just called it the TikTok drink."
7.Iced coffee with extras
"If you order an iced coffee with over three modifications, you probably usually order blended drinks, but you're trying to branch out."
8.A caramel Frappuccino
"Any caramel Frap with extra caramel is always a mom with two or more kids who is about to lose her damn mind about something that they're running late to."
9.Frappuccinos in general
"Kids, or people trying out coffee for the first time."
"Any blended drink says high schooler, or not a ~real~ coffee drinker."
10.Very specific orders/orders with lots of modifications
"You're fussy, mean, and generally don't tip well. Many do this for the sake of DOING it. I really don't think you need a 150-degree, no foam, 1/2 pumps of 18 flavors, 10 Splenda, 1/2 dairy whip, 1/2 coconut whip. You're being a dick."
"Very anal retentive and willing to complain to my supervisor because the drink wasn't steamed to 187 degrees or the the sugar-free mocha didn't taste like sugar-free mocha."
"If your drink has over three modifications, you’re either a barista yourself or just on a power trip."
11.A chai latte
"I associate chai lattes with people who were, or are, hippies."
12.Drip coffee
"They are the angels of the coffee world. Unless you're one of the ones who trash the freshly cleaned condiment bar...there's a special place in hell for you."
13.Cold brew
"I associate cold brews with people who want to try something new but are hesitant."
14.A cappuccino
"Cappuccino drinkers are extremely snooty."
15.A dry cappuccino
"Every time I get an order for a dry cappuccino, it’s always — and I mean always — an elderly, white man."
16.An espresso macchiato
"Espresso macchiatos don’t deserve to be stereotypical drinks for middle-aged assholes who hate teenagers (because they're delicious), but so many customers are rude and condescending when ordering them that I can’t help but think it. Half of the espresso macchiato orders I’ve taken have preceded a patronizing spiel about what an espresso macchiato is. I know that, thanks; I’m the barista here."
17.A red eye (brewed coffee and espresso)
"Rich-looking white guys love coming in early in the morning and ordering a red eye. 'Just a splash,' means you’re convinced that you’re not high maintenance, but you definitely are (because it’s usually followed up by them complaining that you didn’t put enough in)."
Now it's your turn, baristas! Do you disagree with any of these? Are there drink orders — like an iced oat milk latte or a pink drink — that you've assigned certain stereotypes to? If so, tell us about them in the comments below or via this anonymous form!
Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
