This morning my friend brought me a latte, and as she placed this steaming cup in front of me – my sleepy eyes looked up in utter gratefulness and I said “Ah the sweet nectar of the gods.” Which got me to thinking what actually is the nectar of the gods?
According to several on-line sources nectar, along with ambrosia, is the drink and food of the gods. In ancient Greece if you were lucky enough to consume either ambrosia or nectar you were then gifted with immortality (come to think of it, after one or two latte’s I DO feel immortal!).
The Greek king Tantalus tried to steal some nectar from the Gods and bring it to his people (how come George doesn’t do this for us?). Sadly he got caught and Tantalus' punishment was to stand in a pool of water beneath a fruit tree with low branches. Whenever he reached for the fruit, the branches raised his intended meal from his grasp. Whenever he bent down to get a drink, the water receded before he could get any. He remained eternally thirsty and hungry. This is why Tantalus started Starbucks. This is also why latte’s are often so tantalizing – get it?
So what exactly is the sweet nectar of the gods? Wine, beer, honey, maybe a 32 ounce grape Slurpee?
At 6:30 am on a Monday it is always a double non-fat latte with one Splenda thank you very much! Oh and thanks Janice!
PS – If this interests you there is a mixed drink called the “Nectar of the Gods” that contains vodka, coffee liquor and iced tea (????).
