How I Started Drinking Coffee (The Unexpected Beginning)

If you were to meet me today—coffee in hand, sipping it black before the sun even thinks about rising—you might assume I’ve always been a coffee guy. But the truth is, this whole story came up while I was filming one of my daily videos, and it reminded me that I didn’t always love coffee. In fact, I avoided it for most of my early life.

Like a lot of things we grow into as adults, coffee wasn’t something I chose—it was something that slowly became part of my routine, part of my discipline, and part of how I start my day. This isn’t just a story about caffeine; it’s a story about taste changing as you grow up, how small habits shape your life, and how something you once hated can become part of your identity.

This is the real story of how I started drinking coffee… and why it matters more than I expected.

Here is the coffee company I’m starting: 333 Brotherhood

Why I Hated Coffee as a Kid (But Loved the Smell)

Growing up, coffee was everywhere in my house. My dad—who worked construction and landscaping—practically lived with a mug in his hand. Morning news, weather channel, sitting by the sliding door before heading out for the day… there was always fresh coffee, usually black, and he’d drink it hot or cold straight out of the pot.

And here’s the funny part:

I loved the smell of it.

But the taste? Absolutely not.

Like most kids, the bitterness hit me like a slap in the face. Coffee smelled comforting and warm, but the moment it touched my tongue, it was all over. I’d watch adults drink it like it was liquid gold and think, How in the world is this enjoyable?

Looking back, it makes sense. Kids don’t like bitter things. We’re wired for sweet, familiar flavors—juice, cereal milk, candy—not something roasted, strong, and dark. Coffee is something most of us grow into, not something we’re born loving.

But those early memories—the smell of coffee drifting through the house, my dad’s morning routine—they planted the seeds for what coffee would eventually become in my life.

My First Job & Coffee Candy: Still Not a Coffee Drinker

My first real job was at Lakeport Square, a retirement community back in Leesburg. Every teenager in the area seemed to work there at some point, but I ended up in the nursing home section—the part where people needed the most help. I was a waiter, serving meals to residents who often had dietary restrictions, puréed foods, thickened drinks, and all kinds of things I’d never seen before.

Since it wasn’t a tipping environment, some of the sweet older ladies would “tip” me with candy instead. And for whatever reason, there was always a steady supply of coffee-flavored Werther’s Originals.

To me, that was the worst kind of candy imaginable.

Even sweetened down, even wrapped in caramel flavor—it still tasted like coffee.

And I still hated coffee.

It almost became a running joke in my mind: no matter where I went, coffee kept showing up in little ways… and I kept pushing it away. The smell was great, but the taste? Still absolutely not. That early dislike stuck around for years and followed me right into adulthood.

Ironically, that made the way I eventually learned to enjoy coffee even more surprising.

How Deployment Helped Me Start Drinking Coffee

The real shift started during my first deployment to Qatar in 2004. At the time, I’d never even heard of Qatar. When someone told me I was deploying there, I pictured the most dangerous place in the world. Little did I know, it was actually one of the safer and more comfortable places I’d ever deploy to.

Still, deployment is deployment. There’s loneliness, routine, boredom, and the long stretches of downtime where you try to find something—anything—to do.

Most days off, a few of us would meet at the MWR center. It was a place with movies, books, and board games. And yes, because I’m me, we played things like Dungeons & Dragons or this superhero spin-off version of it. Just a couple of guys trying to escape the desert heat and the realities of military life.

And that’s where the coffee showed up again.

Everyone else was pouring themselves cups of whatever they had there. It wasn’t gourmet coffee by any stretch, but it was there, it was something warm, and it was part of the routine. I didn’t want to feel left out, so I poured myself a cup… then proceeded to drown it in enough cream and sugar to turn it into a dessert.

Honestly, it was barely coffee at that point—more like hot chocolate pretending to be coffee.

But that was the first time I could bear it.

That’s how it started.

Not with some deep love or mature palate.

Just a guy on deployment, wanting to fit in with his friends, accidentally getting one step closer to becoming a coffee drinker.

The Green Bean Café: My First Real Coffee Drinks

A few deployments later, things progressed. By then, I wasn’t forcing myself to choke down sugary coffee just to fit in with my friends — I was slowly learning to appreciate it. That’s when I discovered the Green Bean Café, a little coffee shop that pops up on many deployed bases overseas.

And that place changed everything.

They had frappes, iced blends, coffee slushies — basically milkshakes with caffeine.

And they were amazing.

These drinks were nothing like the bitter, black coffee my dad drank straight out of the pot. They were sweet, cold, creamy, and honestly dessert-level delicious. But here’s the thing: they were still coffee. And every time I ordered one, I was inching closer to the real flavor.

Looking back, this stage matters. Most adults don’t jump straight from “I hate coffee” to “black coffee only.”

There’s a progression — a slow warming-up period where you learn the flavor through softer, sweeter versions of it.

For me, the Green Bean Café was that bridge. It didn’t make me a coffee lover overnight, but it nudged me further down the path.

How Marriage Made Coffee Part of My Morning Routine

The real shift happened after marriage. When my wife and I moved in together after one of my deployments, coffee naturally became part of our mornings. She already loved it, and there’s something about sharing a quiet moment over a cup that pulls you in.

So I started drinking it with her.

At first, it was the easy version — coffee with creamer, the flavored kind with built-in sweetness. I wasn’t trying to be a purist. I just wanted to enjoy the moment with her, and coffee became a bonding ritual more than anything else.

Over time, morning coffee became part of our rhythm.

A small tradition.

A shared pause before the chaos of the day.

It wasn’t about the taste at first — it was about connection. And like most habits formed in marriage, the comfort of the moment gradually helped reshape my preferences. Eventually, I learned to enjoy coffee with less creamer… and eventually without any creamer at all.

It started as her routine, but it became our routine — and it turned into one of the most consistent parts of my mornings.

How I Started Drinking Coffee Black (Thanks to Diet & Discipline)

The shift from creamy, sweet coffee to drinking it straight black didn’t happen because I suddenly became sophisticated. It happened because I was working on discipline. When I committed to the carnivore diet—where keeping things simple is part of the structure—creamer became one of the first things to go. It wasn’t that it was some terrible ingredient; it was just unnecessary. And when you’re trying to get control over your habits, the unnecessary things usually reveal themselves as small forms of comfort you rely on without even thinking.

So I made the switch. At first, it felt harsh, like I was giving up something that actually made coffee enjoyable. But after a few days, the simplicity of black coffee grew on me. There was something clean about it—no sugar, no flavors competing, no decision-making. It was just one habit, one choice, one step in the direction of building discipline.

Eventually, black coffee became more than a drink. It became a symbol of keeping things simple and staying committed. Not in a dramatic “tough guy” way, but in a mature way—taking pleasure in fewer, cleaner things and making fewer excuses. Somehow, drinking coffee black became part of growing up and taking responsibility for the direction of my life.

Cutting Caffeine & Fixing My Sleep: What I Learned

For most of my life, I told myself that caffeine didn’t affect me. I could drink coffee right up until bedtime and still fall asleep, so I figured that meant everything was fine. But sleep isn’t just about falling asleep—it’s about how deeply you sleep. And once I started learning about caffeine’s half-life and the way it lingers in your system, I realized my “good enough” sleep wasn’t actually good.

So I set a rule: no coffee after 2 p.m.

Not because I felt jittery, but because I wanted to protect the hours that matter most for recovery. When you’re trying to wake up early, be productive, and live more intentionally, sleep becomes one of the most important assets you have.

Cutting off caffeine earlier changed far more than I expected. I slept deeper. I woke up clearer. My mornings felt smoother instead of groggy or rushed. And the better my mornings became, the easier it was to stay consistent with my routines, my goals, and the discipline I’m trying to build into every part of my life.

What started as a small habit—just choosing when to stop drinking coffee—ended up reshaping the way I move through my days.

Remembering My Mom Through Coffee (A Personal Note)

One of the unexpected parts of this whole coffee journey is how much it reminds me of my mom. She loved coffee, especially when she had her favorite creamer — white chocolate macadamia nut. I can still picture the little “happy dance” she would do when she tasted something she really liked. Coffee was one of those things that brought her joy in a simple, everyday way.

It’s funny how the smallest rituals become the biggest memories once someone is gone. A smell, a flavor, a morning routine — suddenly it’s not just a drink anymore. It’s a piece of your past, a connection to someone you loved, and a reminder of moments that felt ordinary at the time but now feel sacred.

Coffee has become one of the ways I feel close to her. Not in a dramatic or heavy way, but in those quiet pauses where I’m holding a mug and thinking about life, discipline, and the people who shaped me. Sometimes healing shows up in these ordinary moments, where something as simple as a cup of coffee opens a door to gratitude and reflection.

What Coffee Means to Me Now (It’s More Than a Drink)

Today, coffee isn’t just a caffeine boost. It’s a ritual — a grounding moment that starts my day with intention. Drinking it black has become a symbol of cutting out the unnecessary, staying focused, and reminding myself who I’m trying to become. It fits into the rhythm of early mornings, writing, making videos, and trying to live a life that’s more disciplined and aligned.

Coffee has grown with me.

It carried me through deployments.

It shaped quiet mornings with my wife.

It became part of my health journey.

It brought back memories of my parents.

And now it’s part of the routine that anchors my days.

I used to hate the taste. Now it’s one of the constants in my life — a small habit that reflects years of change, growth, and reflection. It’s strange how something simple can end up meaning so much, but that’s how adulthood works: the small things become symbolic.

Share Your Story: How Did You Start Drinking Coffee?

Every coffee drinker has a story — the first time they tolerated it, the moment they started depending on it, or the memories tied to it. So I want to hear yours.

How did you start drinking coffee?

Was it a parent? A job? College? The military? A friend?

Or are you still trying to like it?

Drop your story in the comments.

I’ve shared mine — now I’d love to hear yours.

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