Mugs

A good mug as the vessel for coffee is grossly under appreciated.  A good mug will trap the heat of the coffee and will radiate heat to your hands on a cool morning.  More than that, a mug can tell a story.

I have a shelf full of mugs, and each has a story to tell.  They provide insight to my mind, to my values, to my history.  I don't have a single mug that's just a plain mug, part of some set of dishes from the department store.  Each was chosen with care because of it's design and point in history.  A few have been gifts, given by those that know of the pleasure I derive from them and the significance I attach to them.  If you're at my house and I get you a cup of coffee (or tea, or hot cocoa),  I will select a mug for you, based on who you are, and I what I know about you, because you deserve that.

My current go-to is my blue Duluth Pack mug.  I chose it on my birthday trip to Duluth.  It stands as a fine representation of that city, a reminder of the value of a Duluth Pack on a canoe trip. It's blue, my favorite color (though I'm more of a deeper, darker loyal blue than this shade).  It's hand thrown, the logo cut by hand and carefully joined to the main body of the vessel.   It's weighty, but not burdensome.

We have junk mugs at the office.  Plastic-ish type of material, and thin.  They tell no story, and heat dissipates from the coffee so quickly it would almost be better to drink iced coffee.  A paper cup from Starbucks does a better job than these do.  The paper cup from Starbucks has your order on it, telling a story.  It's paper, but sturdy.