Pity the plain old cup of coffee. It is a pale country cousin next to cappuccinos and lattes, mochas and macchiatos, espresso drinks made frothy with steamed milk and perked up with an orchard of flavors.

This coffee is not dripped in the traditional way. It is made by forcing steam through freshly and finely ground coffee beans. The espresso experience will cost you twice to nearly three times as much as the $1.35 for a cup of coffee at Denny's Diner. But there are lines to buy these premium drinks, some of which sell for more than $4.

"People will pay anything for a cup of coffee," said Sonja Neal, manager of the Barnes & Noble Cafe.

The coffee frenzy that brought a Starbucks to nearly every corner in big cities during the 1990s has a hold on Cape Girardeau now as well. Finding a cappuccino was a fantasy a decade ago. Now they are available in at least nine locations in the city. As far as can be determined, Jackson does not have a coffeehouse or restaurant that serves espresso drinks since the Book Bug closed last year.

'Nuances, just like wines'

Coffee berries were first discovered in the year 850. Coffeehouses became popular in Europe in the 17th century. They were called "penny universities." A penny was the cost of admission and a cup of coffee. People believed drinking coffee stimulated their minds and conversation.

Now more than 400 billion cups of coffee are consumed each year, making coffee the world's most popular beverage.

But why is coffee, particularly these pricey blends, so popular? Is it the caffeine, is it the taste?

"Coffees have different nuances, just like wines," said Grace Parry, owner of Grace Cafe. "It depends on the growing seasons, the geography, whether it's grown near a volcano."

The idea of flavoring coffee with anything is sacrilege to some coffee purists. Hard-core coffee drinkers take theirs straight: Just a shot of espresso. But one of the regular customers at Grace Cafe always orders a peach latte, one of 50 flavors to choose from.

"A lot of people who prefer those drinks may not like true coffee," Parry said.

Three-fourths of the people who come into Grace's order espresso drinks.

The variety doesn't end with the coffee beans. Milk, skim milk, fat-free milk, soy milk, rice milk and almond milk are some of the choices customers have to add to their espresso.

Steamed milk is one reason why these drinks are so popular.

"Heating alters the character of milk," said Roger Shoulders, owner of the new Corner Cafe in downtown Cape Girardeau. Steam makes milk silky and frothy.

The secret to making a good cup of coffee depends on the source. Parry says it starts with purified water and fresh beans. "We have a personal relationship with our roaster," she said.

Neal said the secret to a good cup of coffee is timing the espresso shot. The shot should take 18 to 23 seconds to produce from the espresso machine. Less and it will too weak, more and the coffee will be bitter.

Shoulders takes a different view on the essential requirement for a good cup of coffee.

"Beans make the difference," he said.

His are shipped by Federal Express from a roaster in Atlanta to insure their freshness.

At the Corner Cafe, the morning coffee drinkers prefer the old-fashioned drip variety. A few of those who want an extra pick-me-up add a shot of espresso to their coffee, a drink called a Shot in the Dark. But as the day progresses, the espresso drinks seem to gain in popularity at the Corner Cafe.

Coffee scenes

At 9 p.m. at the Barnes & Noble Cafe, a man seated with his young daughter sips coffee and works on his laptop. Two retired couples drink espresso drinks and peruse travel articles, sounding like they're looking for a destination. One of the men quotes writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Behind them, two young women having coffee are engaged in an intense conversation over whether to cook cordon bleu or pizza.

About the same time at Grace Cafe, Bob Bennett eats a piece of cappuccino cheesecake and drinks a latte. He is a machine shop worker who especially likes vanilla lattes and English toffee lattes.

The latte combines strong espresso with steamed milk and a dollop of foamed milk. A cappuccino generally uses less steamed milk and more foam.

Bennett, a Jackson resident, drinks a pot of his own coffee every day but has been a frequent customer at Grace Cafe for years because he likes coffee, desserts and friendly people.

"People are starting to catch on to the coffee experience," he said.

The mocha, a coffee drink made with chocolate, is the most popular concoction at both Grace Cafe and Barnes & Noble. At Grace Cafe it can be made with dark chocolate, milk chocolate or white chocolate.

Invitation to friendship

The cafe at Barnes & Noble was one of the first marketers of espresso drinks in the area. Though the manager of the cafe, Neal is not a coffee drinker herself. "Once in awhile I'll have a cup if I'm extremely tired," she said.

Grace Cafe is the closest thing to a true coffeehouse Cape Girardeau has. On weekends it plays host to musical groups. One day a classical guitarist practiced in a corner.

Parry's cafe just reopened this week at the corner of Broadway and Pacific street after relocating from the corner of Themis and Spanish streets. The new establishment at that location is the Corner Cafe.

Parry says her goal has always been to create a nonalcoholic community gathering place, and coffee has been the draw.

"Coffee in any culture is an invitation to friendship," she said.

Other locations in Cape Girardeau where espresso drinks are available include: Illustrious Jack's, Space Walk Cafe, Bella Italia, DC'z Cafe, Rose of Broadway, the St. Louis Bread Company and the Central High School Library.

sblackwell@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182