“Everything is a thing.”

That’s what my co-worker said after listening to my phone conversation with a coffee shop employee, a barista rather, discussing a weekly cupping class.

“What happened to McDonald’s drive-thru coffee?” she asked.

I laughed.

It’s true. Nothing is simple anymore. Lunch is an ancient grain bowl with fermented vegetables. Dinner is a barrage of small plates (that can leave you hungry). Salad is kale, not iceberg. And coffee is single-origin, not gas station drip.

Coffee is craft, artisan. It’s knowing the farmer and the exact type of tree providing shade for each coffee plant.

While coffeehouse culture—and all those endearing clichés—has been around for decades , we’re now in the so-called third wave of coffee drinking. The lingo and devices might seem fussy, but it’s still all about a simple cup.

Edited by Stefanie Gans with Winn Duvall, Beth Kellmurray, Lynn Norusis, Rina Rapuano, Warren Rojas & Tonya Stewart