Cat Latte

I remember when the height of latte artistry was a poured rosetta pattern. I have conflicted feelings about social media, but I think photo sharing has had a part in helping the latte art grow. Maybe it’s off-brand; I’m probably supposed to rant about pretentious beverages and performative something or other. But I love that people are lavishing attention on the preparation and consumption of their coffee. Lattes have a sizable environmental footprint; complex worker’s rights impacts; and an often opaque supply chain. We should not be consuming them casually. If latte art causes us to pause and appreciate the results of all that work and effort before we guzzle it down, I think they’re doing us a favor. And even if we just thoughtlessly enjoy the image, I am fascinated by any intentionally ephemeral artform.