M&L: What is your coffee order?

AM: My year round go-to coffee order is an iced caramel macchiato or latte depending on how much caffeine I am wanting. Always caramel sauce though, never syrup! On the off chance that it’s too cold for an iced drink, which is usually never in my opinion, then I’ll just have a plain hot coffee with cream. Lately though, I’ve been enjoying an iced pumpkin chai latte with the crisp fall weather. 

M&L: What is your favorite coffee shop? 

AM: I’m a little biased. My wife and I own a mobile coffee shop called The Coffee Coop, so my coffee shop is definitely my favorite! Rarely, when I’m not making my own coffee at home or at my coffee shop, there are only a couple of other places that I will get coffee from. If I am in Galesburg, I will go to Orange Cup, but if I am anywhere near Bloomington, I will always go to Fusion Brew. 

M&L: Who do you share coffee with? 

AM: My wife is the person that I share coffee with. Every morning I make coffee for my wife and I to start our day, and I honestly can’t remember the last time that I had a coffee without her. We drink coffee all throughout the day and even late at night most nights. Coffee just isn’t the same without her!

M&L: How is coffee part of your reading and writing life? 

AM: I always need to have a coffee in hand when I am doing any kind of reading or writing. Whether I’m writing poems for conference submissions, writing papers for school, or even writing this, I can guarantee you that I will be enjoying a coffee while writing. When it comes to reading, certain coffee flavors will remind me of certain poems. For example, I have an apple cider donut on the menu at my coffee shop, and every time I have it, it tastes just like the poem “To Autumn” by John Keats.

M&L: Describe your first sip of the day.

AM: To prepare my first sip of the day, I first fire up the espresso machine. While it’s heating up, I grab my ice trays from the freezer and pop the cubes into an insulated cup. Then, I grab organic whole milk, measure it, and pour it over the ice. Finally, I pull the shots of espresso, pour it over the milk and give it a good stir. My first sip of the day is ice cold, with a bold espresso flavor, accompanied by creamy milk. I wouldn’t have it any other way!