The American love affair with coffee shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Need proof? Though the current number of Americans who drink coffee on a regular basis is not much higher than it was in 1999, the fastest growing niche in the restaurant industry is that of the coffee shop… which leads us to assume two things. One, the coffee consuming population is drinking more of it on a daily basis. Two, this population is a marketer’s dream. Basically if you build it, they will come.

With 3-5 cups of coffee a day now being the acceptable daily dose (according to the 2015 government dietary guidelines) it’s no wonder consumption is up! While many people will readily admit to being addicted, the one thing that’s not on the rise, is the guilt factor. No one seems at all interested in cutting back, even in New York City, where consumption is seven times higher than in the rest of the U.S.

Whether it’s used to enhance alertness at work, as a distraction from the events of the day or as an excuse to socialize, it doesn’t matter. Coffee is loved for as many varied reasons as there are ways of preparing it. In honor of National Caffeine Awareness month, sit back and watch what some of these New Yorkers had to say about their coffee while you enjoy your latte, half caff, or flat white…