Talk of a bitter cup of coffee

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - First there was road rage, then there was office rage. Now, there's coffee rage. The tempest in a coffee cup began at a coffee shop in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area when Jeff Simmermon ordered a triple shot of espresso over ice, according to a story in Thursday's edition of The Washington Post ( www.washingtonpost.com )

When the barista told him that the shop, Murky Coffee, doesn't serve espresso over ice, the 32-year-old New Yorker, who was visiting the area, asked for a triple espresso and a cup of ice.

The barista provided both, according to Simmermon's blog ( www.andiamnotlying.com ), but the barista told him, "Hey man, What you're about to do ... that's really, really Not Okay."

The barista explained that it was the store's policy to "preserve the integrity of the coffee," according to Simmermon's blog.

Words were exchanged as Simmermon poured the espresso over the ice. The tempest probably would have ended there, but Simmermon, a self-described member of the millennial generation, blogged about it.

The post sped through cyberspace, where it caught the attention of Murky Coffee's owner, Nicholas Cho, who posted an open letter on the cafe's Web site ( murkycoffee.com ) including a list of store policies:

"No modifications to the Classic Cappuccino. No questions will be answered about the $5 Hot Chocolate (during the months we offer it). No espresso in a to-go cup. No espresso over ice. These are our policies. We have our reasons, and we're happy to share them."

Cho did not immediately return a telephone call seeking comment.