Always, with Milk & Sugar

Always, With Milk and Sugar

TL;DR:
I was probably given a taste of coffee too young and now I’m addicted. I grew up drinking coffee that was strong, sweet, and with milk. Then I discovered specialty coffee, and while the journey had some... questionable moments, I eventually found my way back to what I was looking for...delicious, satisfying coffee -  just in a different way.

The First Sip

I spent my first 11 years of my  life in India, bouncing between Vijayawada, Hyderabad, Bangalore, and a few places I probably don’t remember. What I do remember is spending my days between school and on a small farm, climbing trees, begging for chocolate, and my absolute refusal to drink plain milk.

It had to have something added to it—sugar, chocolate powder—anything to make it tolerable.

I must have been nine or ten, sitting in my grandparents’ dining room, fussy and determined to avoid drinking milk straight. My mom had been trying to wean me off sugar, but Ammaamma (my grandmother) had other plans. That morning, she gently dropped four drops of filter coffee decoction into my milk, just enough to convince me it was something else.

I gulped it down like it was the best thing I’d ever tasted.

That’s my first real memory of coffee. And from that moment, I chased that taste anywhere I could find it.

A Taste for Something Stronger

By twelve, I was buying coffee-flavored caramels and pestering my mom to let me drink chai or add instant coffee into my warm milk. If she wasn’t convinced, I’d settle for a splash of tea in my milk—just enough to get that strong, sweet, caffeinated taste.

As soon as I could make my own choices, I started finding coffee shops to hang out in. I didn’t know it yet, but I was always looking for that first taste of filter coffee—intense, slightly bitter, just sweet enough.

But, for the most part, I stuck to chai and filter or instant coffee at home and bounced between Dunkin’ (medium hot, 3 milk, 1 sugar, because #solidarity and America does run on South Asian Dunkin') and Starbucks when I was out.

A Different Kind of Coffee Culture

The world I knew of chai and coffee was one where strength mattered. India has a deep love of decadence, luxury, and indulgence. While my American upbringing had taught me to appreciate subtle flavors in food and expand my palate...when it came to coffee, I needed something intense, chocolatey, rich, and chewy.

Think: Tootsie Rolls, Coffee-flavored Werther’s Originals, Dark chocolate-covered caramel taffy

I wasn’t looking for anything new—I just wanted coffee that tasted right. That was good coffee to me. Something familiar, indulgent, and intense.

My First Specialty Coffee (…Not a Love Story)

At 19, I finally stepped out of my comfort zone and ordered a cappuccino from the green mermaid . If I got a good barista that made it well, I could throw in two packets of sugar, and it was jUST reminiscent enough of my Ammaamma’s filter coffee.

That was my go-to for a while.

Then, at 25, I discovered specialty coffee.

Game-changer, right?

Not exactly.

My first experience was a highly rated café in my town. I confidently ordered an iced coffee, took two sips, and threw it in the trash. Watery. Sour. Astringent. I couldn’t understand why people liked this. 

Three weeks later, I gave it another shot. This time, I ordered a cappuccino. It was better—still too light and milky—but definitely the best one I’d had so far.

Four weeks after that, I walked back into the shop and got a part-time job as a barista. (story for later).

The Moment It Clicked

For the first time, I started understanding the nuances of coffee—when I learned the different taste profiles of coffees from different countries . I fell in love with the process, the details, the indulgence of high-quality, single-origin coffee when it’s done with intention.

Who knew that someone was taking the time and effort to hand-pick coffee cherries, process them for the best 20% of the crop, and then spend all this effort importing, roasting, and perfecting how to brew them? I learned about how different processing methods impact flavor, how sourcing specialty coffee matters, and how the entire supply chain is a balance of science, skill, and care. And while I didn't enjoy a light roast  flash brewed pour over, I loved a good Honduran drip coffee or a Burundi espresso. 

Where I Landed

Up until that point, I thought "good coffee" meant: A deep, chocolatey, chicory-rich coffee that came with milk and sugar, in a cup no larger than 6 ounces.  

Honestly, I still lean that way now. But after immersing myself in specialty coffee, my palate expanded and my capacity to appreciate nuances increased. 

My go-to drinks in order:

• A 6-8 oz cappuccino or flat white.

• Drip coffee. (GOOD specialty coffee that’s been sourced and brewed right, because yes, there’s a difference.)

• A well-dialed espresso blend that is heavy, chewy, and sweet.

What I still love is that intense, sweet, velvety texture, but instead of getting it from milk and sugar, I now find it in well-sourced, well-roasted, delicious specialty coffees.

It took me years to get here, but now, when I sip a beautifully roasted coffee, I can still taste a little bit of that first sip at my Ammaamma’s table.

The coffee I chase today is the same coffee I loved as a kid—it’s just made differently.

And that’s exactly what I want Sleepy Mango to be—a place where coffee feels both familiar and exciting. I want our coffees to bring you the same kind of nostalgic comfort I grew up with, while also opening the door to something new. Maybe it's a different origin, a new brewing method, or just the realization that good coffee can be both indulgent and unexpected. It’s about finding the same nostalgic comfort in new places.