Welcome back to another Café Session, where we mix a little coffee knowledge with a lot of seasonal flavor. November has arrived, and you can definitely feel it—those chilly mornings make that first cup of coffee feel extra essential before heading out the door. Thanksgiving is right around the corner, which means plenty of food, family, and caffeine to keep things running smoothly. If you’re in the mood for a laugh before the big day, check out our satirical blog, If Relatives Were Coffee Drinks at the Holiday Dinner—because nothing pairs better with a turkey hangover than a little humor.
On the sports side of things, the Broncos are (somehow) leading the AFC West with a 6–2 record. They’ve been playing surprisingly well lately—credit where it’s due—but I’ll hold off on any bold predictions for now. Let’s just say Denver football is… interesting again.
This month, we’re diving into a couple of questions perfect for the season: is it actually good to drink coffee after a big meal, and are there coffee roasts that naturally pair well with classic fall foods? We’ll explore how different flavor profiles complement those cozy Thanksgiving dishes and whether your post-dinner brew helps or hinders digestion. So grab a warm mug, settle in, and let’s dive into this month’s Café Session.
Ah yes—the age-old belief that coffee is the cure-all after a heavy meal. That post-lunch coffee rush is real; we see it every day when folks wander into the café after conquering a burrito the size of their forearm or tackling a carb-heavy pasta lunch. And with Thanksgiving right around the corner, it’s fair to wonder—can a couple shots of espresso or a nice French press really pull you out of that turkey-and-tryptophan coma?
Believe it or not, having coffee right after a meal can be both good and bad for you—it all depends on how your body handles it.
Let’s start with the good: coffee can help aid digestion. Caffeine stimulates the muscles in your digestive tract, helping things keep moving along, and coffee also increases gastric juices that break down food. Like one of my regulars once told me, “coffee in… coffee out.” It’s funny because it’s true—coffee gets the system moving.
But here’s the catch—coffee is also a natural diuretic, and drinking it immediately after eating can sometimes overload your digestive system. Your body is already hard at work processing food, and adding coffee into the mix can speed things up a little too much. That’s when you might experience discomfort, stomach cramps, or even miss out on fully absorbing the nutrients from your meal. So while that double espresso might wake you up, it could also shortchange your body’s ability to get everything it needs from lunch.
It’s kind of like that old saying about waiting 30 minutes to swim after eating—your body just needs a little time to do its thing. A good rule of thumb? Take a short walk first. It helps boost metabolism, kickstarts digestion, and gives you a few minutes to shake off that post-meal haze. Then, by all means, grab that coffee—it’ll hit just right without upsetting your stomach.
So, yes, coffee can be your post-meal MVP—just let your body run its first play before calling in the caffeine for backup.
Absolutely! Aside from the ever-popular PSL (that’s Pumpkin Spice Latté for anyone who doesn’t speak coffee shorthand), there are so many other fall flavors that make for a great coffee pairing. While peppermint mochas might still be a few weeks away, this is prime time for maple, nutty, and spiced notes to shine.
But what about the traditional coffee drinker—the one who loves the pure taste of coffee without all the sweetness? Luckily, there’s an array of single-origin coffees that naturally pair beautifully with classic fall foods. Before we dive into pairings, let’s look at a few simple rules to guide you:
Now for the fun part—pairings that just work:
And if all this talk of autumn flavors has you craving something cozy, check out our blog, Exploring the History of Pumpkin Spice: A Journey Through Flavor and Tradition. It’s a deep dive into how the world’s favorite fall spice blend became a seasonal ritual—and why it still holds such a warm spot in our mugs (and our hearts).
Whether you’re sipping something spiced or savoring a single-origin pour-over, fall is the perfect time to experiment with flavors. Grab your favorite roast, pair it with your favorite dish, and let the season do the rest.