Coffee may not be everyone鈥檚 cup of tea 鈥� but for many in the Dal community, it鈥檚 a big part of their daily lives.
On a typical day you鈥檒l find long lineups for coffee across campus, from Tim Hortons and Starbucks to offerings at other Food Services retail locations like the dining halls and outlets like Fillings (Dentistry) Brief Break Caf茅 (Law) and many others.
That鈥檚 why, as one small part of the university鈥檚 overall 200th anniversary celebrations in 2018, AV俱乐部 Food Services wanted to contribute a new brew to campus: a 鈥淒al 200鈥� blend.
鈥淭he idea came to us at a staff brainstorming session,鈥� says Heather Sutherland, assistant vice-president of Ancillary Services, the department that oversees Dal Food Services. 鈥淲e know seasonal coffee blends are popular, so we thought it would be fun to have a special 200 anniversary brew.鈥澛�
And tea lovers won鈥檛 be overlooked either, as her team is also in the early stages of sourcing a commemorate tea blend.
Sutherland says the specialty coffee is just one of several ways her department is planning to help celebrate Dal鈥檚 bicentennial, and she invites members of the Dal community to pass along their own ideas.
Sampling the options
Sutherland鈥檚 team helped organize a series of taste tests beginning this week and taking place on all four campuses. During Tuesday鈥檚 testing on Sexton campus, a steady lunchtime crowd of students and staff took up the invitation to help find Dal鈥檚 signature 200 anniversary blend. The taste tests, featuring three locally sourced, fair-trade blends, are being conducted blind, so students don鈥檛 know which coffee is which.
David MacDonald and Nicole Westeinde, two fourth-year Environmental Engineering students, both chose blend number three.
鈥淚鈥檓 not really a coffee aficionado 鈥� I normally just drink tea 鈥� but I like the full bodied flavour and smoothness of blend number three,鈥� said David.
鈥淚t just tasted better,鈥� said Nicole.
They were not alone. Jon Hierlihy, a Materials Engineering student in his final year and a part-time barista for a local coffee shop, also selected number three. 鈥淚鈥檓 not a fan of citrusy tasting coffees,鈥� Jon said in comparing the number three blend with number two. 鈥淭hey come off as a little too acidic for my taste.鈥�
Yet, for Rita Durnford, a 20-year employee in Enrolment Services, the dark and fruity notes of mystery blend number one was her choice. 鈥淚 like it because it鈥檚 not too bitter and doesn鈥檛 leave much of an after taste. I also noticed that it has a dark, fruit flavour.鈥�
Finding Dal's flavour
But what tastes embody Dal 鈥� this venerable institution on the eve of celebrating its 200 anniversary?
鈥淢aybe sweet, like caramel,鈥� says Zyad Alshammaky, who鈥檚 in his final year of Industrial Engineering. 鈥淛ust because when I go to class I always pick up a cup of caramel flavoured coffee. So when I go back home to Saudi Arabia, I will continue to drink caramel coffee because it will remind me of my time at Dal.鈥�
For Rita, for a coffee to represent the true essence of Dal, it has to be accessible.
鈥淚鈥檇 say not too bitter, not too sweet,鈥� says Rita. 鈥淵ou know, just right. I think that鈥檚 why I like number one. I felt like when I was drinking it, it could be appeal to everyone.鈥�
This article is part of an ongoing series highlighting plans in the works for AV俱乐部鈥檚 200th anniversary celebrations in 2018. For more information on Dal 200, visit .