Coffee drinkers throughout Montana can be found at their kitchen tables, in their cars or at a local favorite coffee spot at all times of the day (and night).  Oh the aroma, the bite, and the wonder of caffeine!  In Bozeman, you can enjoy coffee made for you by a scholarly barista at one of the MANY (counted over 30 online) coffee related businesses.  If you choose to venture away from your kitchen that is...  You can also escape cooking, thanks to the other epicurean offerings, some without gluten.

In rural parts of the Treasure State, where finding a drive-thru is an adventure, it might be more common to get your cup o’joe from a large can of Folgers, brewed in the 12 cup pot on the kitchen counter.  Depending on how far into the country you live, the selection at the nearest grocery store in the nether parts of Montana might only have a few options for coffee buyers, always pre-ground and most likely in a large container.  Rural shoppers are rarely in need of just a single serving or 1 lb bag, these Montanans may not be back to the store for weeks.  Stocking up can be costly, but necessary.  Bozemanites are also happy to drop a pretty penny on their beloved beverage of choice.  They are lucky to drive-thru on their way to wherever and get a 16oz Latte macchiato, customized to the finest detail.  If a Bozemanite has the leisure to spend time in their favorite coffee shop, they can even get an artistic design on the top of their cup of coffee, almost too pretty to drink.

[If you are from Seattle you can skip this paragraph.] Whether Bozemanite or Montanan, Starbucks is likely not your first choice for coffee, it’s a fairly new addition to the Bozeman scene but now has at least five locations. A recent viral image of a map of the US with every Starbucks lit in a bright green color announced the little town of Circle, Montana as the farthest spot from a Starbucks in America. Circle is 192 miles from the nearest Starbucks, and about 49 miles northwest of Glendive. My favorite comment on a post about this map was “friends don’t let friends drink Starbucks”.  I’m guessing the folks in Circle are drinking Folgers or something similar and I bet they don’t mind a bit.

So, are you a Bozemanite or a Montanan? We’ll check your pantry to find out.