RULE 48

Condiments are a right.

In many cultures, condiments like cream and sugar are an integral part of the coffee experience.

Condiment shaming made a brief attempt at relevancy in the early 2010s coffee scene, but most of those places are out of business now. Don’t let snobs tell you that condiments—in coffee culture, this means milk, cream, and sweeteners, or even those flavored syrups you might request in your latte (see Rule 43)—are bad; we here at Sprudge would never tell anyone how to doctor their brew. And let’s be real: Sometimes coffee absolutely needs a little help before it’s palatable. Dark-roasted coffee with a little cream and a little sugar can make a sad cup into a joyful cup. Maybe even a little cinnamon? Don’t get us started!

There are even many cultures where condiments like cream and sugar are an integral part of the coffee experience. In the classic espresso bars of Milan, your shot will be served alongside a complimentary packet of sugar, and it’s not impolite to use it. In the Vietnamese coffee tradition, brewed coffee drips directly over sweetened condensed milk to make a ca phe sua da; if you’ve never tried one, you are in for a treat. In parts of the Middle East, coffee is ground with cardamom before brewing, and in Cuba, raw sugar is sometimes placed directly into the portafilter for a presweetened espresso shot.

None of these traditions is wrong or bad, and actually they’re all pretty delicious. But like all things in life, a little compromise can go a long way. If you’re at a fancy coffee bar in, say, New York City or Tokyo, you might consider trying your coffee straight up first before adding your desired condiments. That way you can experience the unaltered drink first before doing your thing to the rest of the cup. Who knows? Maybe a well-made latte or cup of brewed coffee will be naturally sweet enough for you to enjoy as is, no condiments required.