The 1 Thing Americans Do With Coffee That Shocks People Around The World

Here's another reminder to slow down.

Picture this: You’re rushing off to work and thinking about the never-ending list of to-do’s you’re hoping to work your way through today. On the way, you pop into your local coffee shop for some much-needed caffeine. But instead of grabbing your large drip coffee or latte to go, you sit down at a table or stand at a coffee bar and drink from a ceramic mug. Does this sound absurd? Well, this is actually how coffee is consumed in many places throughout the world.

In the U.S., we constantly carry around take-away cups of drip coffee, but throughout many parts of the world — like some parts of Europe and New Zealand, for example — that just isn’t the norm.

Sure, some people grab a coffee to-go every now and then, but many people drink their coffee from a mug right there in the cafe — whether seated solo, with a group of friends or standing up at the bar. Sometimes it’s a communal thing to sit down and drink coffee with friends. Other times it’s more about just throwing back an espresso on the way to work — either way it happens right there at the cafe.

“Takeaway coffee culture is often dictated by an environmental lifestyle — for instance in Italy, where it is customary to stand at the bar and enjoy an espresso quickly. This quick, sociable and affordable ritual is deeply rooted in Italian culture,” said Jack Foster, co-owner and operations director at Crosby Coffee in England. “Other European countries such as Austria or France see their customers sit down and savor their coffee leisurely, often accompanied by a pastry. Again, a way of life in some cities and choices made by their communities’ lifestyle.”

If you’re obsessed with the hustle and can’t imagine doing anything else but run off from the cafe with your coffee and cart it around everywhere you go for the next hour, you’re going to want to keep reading to see how things are done differently.