World Coffee Day: The Gilmore Girls, K-Dramas, And Fashion’s Favourite Fuel

“Coffee, coffee, coffee…” That’s the sound every Gilmore Girls fan hears in their head the moment a cup is within reach. If you’ve ever binged the show, you know Lorelai Gilmore doesn’t just drink coffee—she is coffee. Her love affair with caffeine is relentless, borderline unhealthy, and somehow still inspirational.

A regular human might manage a pot a day; for Lorelai, it’s more like a pot an hour. Coffee is her sidekick, her muse, her therapist, and let’s be honest, probably the secret ingredient behind her lightning-fast comebacks. And this autumn, as the leaves turn gold and the weather begs for oversized jumpers, it feels only right to honour our own caffeine addictions in true Gilmore fashion: with a cup (or five) in hand.

Humans have been worshipping coffee since at least the 15th century, and we’ve never looked back. Roast it, grind it, drown it in hot water—suddenly you have liquid motivation. Tea may be fine, but let’s face it: coffee has the sophistication, ritual, and caffeine kick that actually gets us through Monday mornings.

Coffee in Pop Culture: More Than Just a Drink

Coffee is so much more than a beverage—it’s a character. From the neon-lit cafés of Seoul to the quaint diner in Stars Hollow, it keeps showing up on our screens, shaping personalities and setting the vibe. Whether it’s iced, hot, tall, lactose-free, sweetened, or as black as your soul, there’s a coffee moment for everyone.

Most “hardcore” types like their coffee black. Not The Wolf. Harvey Keitel’s fixer drinks his with cream and sugar, and somehow still manages to look like the baddest man alive. Proof that there’s no wrong way to caffeinate.

Penny, The Big Bang Theory

Sheldon thinks caffeine is basically heroin... until Penny gets him a cup. Then it's physicist in full Tasmanian Devil mode. Honestly? So relatable.

K-Dramas and the Iced Americano Aesthetic

If Lorelai Gilmore made coffee a religion in the West, K-Dramas turned it into an aesthetic. Enter the iced Americano: the chic, minimalistic drink that signals sophistication, heartbreak, or “yes, I’m brooding about my tragic backstory.”

One slow sip at a café, condensation dripping down the glass, soft piano soundtrack swelling… and suddenly you’re questioning every decision you’ve ever made.

Take The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince (2007), arguably the most iconic coffee-centric drama ever. Go Eun-chan disguises herself as a man to work in a café, serving up both lattes and romantic tension. The latte art close-ups, the slow sips, the flirty banter over espresso machines, it was basically a love letter to café culture.

But K-Dramas also made the humble coffee mix an international star. In My Mister (2018), IU downs two sticks of instant coffee after a hard day—proof that sometimes self-care is just caffeine and sugar. In Vincenzo (2021), Song Joong-ki’s mafia consigliere discovers Korea’s instant coffee and falls completely in love, while in Narco-Saints (2022), Kang In-gu (Ha Jung-woo) literally bribes a law enforcement chief with packets of it. That’s right: in K-Dramaland, instant coffee isn’t just a drink—it’s currency.

Fashion Runs on Coffee

Of course, we can’t forget Andy Sachs sprinting through New York with a scalding hot cup for Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada. In fashion and media, coffee isn’t just fuel—it’s currency. No creative industry runs on time, budgets, or sanity. It runs on lattes, flat whites, and whatever keeps the interns vertical. Coffee is the silent third character in every brainstorming session, deadline scramble, and 3 a.m. deck revision.

And then there’s Emma Chamberlain. The YouTuber-turned-fashion-girlie didn’t just launch a coffee brand—she made caffeine chic. Chamberlain Coffee is more than just beans; it’s a Pinterest moodboard you can sip. Bright packaging, playful branding, and the kind of aesthetic that makes you want to pair your oat latte with baggy jeans and tiny sunglasses.

Coffee Runs in Bandra!

Back home, coffee has its own chic subculture. The Bandra coffee run is practically an Olympic sport—somewhere between a social outing and a soft launch. Spotting celebrities at Pali Village Café with oversized sunnies and soy lattes is almost as routine as finding traffic at Bandstand.

And then, of course, there’s South India—the original coffee connoisseur. Filter kaapi served in steel tumblers is the real deal. Frothy, strong, and ritualistic, it’s not just a drink but a way of life. Before flat whites and pumpkin spice, there was the kaapi kick. Honestly, Starbucks could never.

Lattes, Cozy Vibes, and the Coffee Lifestyle

Meanwhile, the iced latte has claimed the crown as the ultimate accessory. Creamy, customisable, and dangerously Instagrammable, it pairs perfectly with books and moody playlists. Add caramel drizzle if you’re feeling indulgent, oat milk if you’re feeling health-conscious, or pumpkin spice if you’re feeling basic.

Because here’s the thing: coffee has become an aesthetic. It’s the background actor in every brainstorm, the co-writer of your emails, the supporting cast in your existential crises. And on screen, it’s shorthand for everything from heartbreak to ambition.

So go ahead, raise your cup. Lorelai would approve.

Also, read:

Green Is The New Black (Coffee): Rise Of The Matcha Girlie