Women's Journal

“Coffee Wars” and Vegan Journeys

Few people are born vegan. Not all of us will likely have vegans like Mayim Bialik or Joaquin Phoenix as our parents. Instead, most of us are raised on a diet that includes meat, cheese and other non-vegan products. SpaghettiOs and mac & cheese, anyone?

For many of us vegans, we reach a point in our lives when we decide to stop consuming animal products and say “no” to the exploitation and environmental degradation that they present. Perhaps we see a video on factory farming and the horrible conditions the poor animals live in, or we get sick from a piece of hormone-addled meat. 

Maybe we realize the negative effect that meat production is having on the planet, or we see how mama cows are impregnated just so they can produce milk for us. 

Jo, the main character in the new movie “Coffee Wars,” began her vegan journey when her beloved cow was slaughtered. Her parents, who own a farm in the English countryside, served the cow for dinner one evening. Jo was fittingly disgusted. After that, Jo, brilliantly played by real-life vegan Kate Nash, decides she’s done with meat and dairy products for good. 

When Jo grows up, she opens a vegan coffee shop and educates her customers about veganism as well. In a legendary rant in the very first scene, she hilariously goes off on a potential customer who asks for dairy milk, screaming about how dairy milk is made and what it does to the cows.

Later in the film, Jo enters an international latte-making contest to save her coffee shop when it’s in danger of being closed. While other contestants use dairy milk, she enters with an almond milk latte recipe. You’ll have to watch “Coffee Wars” to see what happens next.

Like Jo, we all have our own vegan journeys. Perhaps you’re on one right now. You might be dipping your toe into veganism, starting with Meatless Mondays or substituting meat and cheese with vegan products instead. 

Thankfully, these days, it’s easier than ever to go vegan. Brands like Beyond Meat, Impossible Foods, Daiya, and Tofutti – among countless others – put out tons of tasty vegan products. Plus, many fast-food restaurants now offer at least one vegan option. You don’t have to feel out of place when you go out with your friends to eat anymore.

If you’re trying to keep a clean diet, it’s super easy when you’re only eating vegan foods. Instead of consuming processed products, you can make your own veggie burgers with black beans and other fruits and veggies. You can create a whole host of other delicious, natural foods. Going organic and buying local from your farmer’s market are always recommended as well.

Like Jo, you, too, can become a super vegan. It may take some initial work, but once you start eating vegan, you won’t want to go back. The animals—and the planet—will thank you.  

Are Coffee and Dairy a Match Made in Heaven? Feature Film “Coffee Wars” Begs to Differ

Dairy milk is prevalent in all kinds of coffee beverages. From lattes to cappuccinos, many coffee-based beverages have a common ingredient: dairy milk. However, it doesn’t have to be this way. 

Instead, all these drinks can be made vegan using dairy milk alternatives, like oat milk, soy milk, cashew milk, or almond milk. Nowadays, there is a robust market for coffee drinks that use these vegan alternatives. People have seen the effects the dairy industry has on animals and the environment alike. Plus, they realize the health benefits that vegan milk has to offer; often, it’s lower in calories and fat, making it a healthier choice. Vegan alternatives are now commonplace in coffee chains’ mom-and-pop coffee shops nationwide. Plus, oat milk is hot on Tik Tok. 

In the new feature film “Coffee Wars,” vegan barista Jo, played by Kate Nash, seeks to show the world that dairy alternatives taste better with coffee than traditional cow’s milk. She demonstrates that coffee and dairy milk are not a match made in heaven. You don’t need to use dairy milk to make a latte taste good. 

How does Jo show that? She enters the World Barista Championship, where she aims to make the best latte on Earth—all while using almond milk (her competitors are using dairy milk). She’s poised to prove to them that you can have a creamy, delicious latte without harming any cows – or the planet. 

Along the way, Jo demonstrates not only the power of veganism but also the importance of ethical consumerism and female entrepreneurship. She is a young business owner who is passionate about what she does, and she sticks to her values even when it seems like the entire world is against her. When she’s down and out, she refuses to give in to pressure. No matter what, she is going to keep promoting veganism. She is never going to stop being a loud and proud vegan. 

In the opening scene of the movie, Jo tells off a potential customer who orders a dairy milk latte; she will not serve that in her establishment. In an epic rant, Jo educates us, the viewers, about how farmers impregnate cows to get milk out of them. After her rant, Jo kicks the potential customer out of her store rather than serve her dairy milk. It goes against everything she stands for.  

The next time you go to order a latte, think about Jo and what she might say. Do you really need it? Or could you try some almond, oat, soy, or cashew milk instead? You might find that you love it. 

Of course, make sure you tune into “Coffee Wars” to learn more about the dairy milk industry and veganism while having a laugh at the same time.