As a child, I enjoyed the simple pleasure of milk and cookies. Over a decade later, I still enjoy milk and cookies. But recently, during an outing at Frank Dining Hall with some friends, I came to a realization: milk is not cool anymore. Upon coming back to our table with my daily milk and cookies, one friend snickered and another asked, “Are you really drinking… milk?” Their faces were full of shock and horror. For a moment, I questioned my entire existence. It led me to question my daily treat, and I ate my cookies and milk in shame — refraining from dipping the cookies into my low-fat milk, since that may have led to further judgment. I avoided eye contact and felt rejected. I thought to myself: maybe I need new friends, or maybe, milk needs to have a comeback.
When did drinking milk become so unpopular? Milk’s downfall is a murky path. It could be from its recent connotation of being unsustainable for the climate and concerns over animal welfare, which — I will admit — are very honorable reasons to not drink milk. Others aren’t able to digest milk properly and have to pay the price after indulging in a cup (I’ll spare you the rest of the details about lactose intolerance). But I refuse to accept these narratives as the only reasons why milk is so unpopular. I doubt many of the people ordering their daily Starbucks oat milk lattes are actually concerned about carbon dioxide emissions when they pull up to the drive thru in their gas-guzzling Jeep. I fear that the people have been repressed from enjoying something that their heart yearns for.
The solution to avoiding dairy milk is the various forms of plant-based “milk” that exist on the market. There’s almond milk, oat milk, soy milk, cashew milk and even rice milk, just to name a few. The rise of plant-based milk has led me to question how milk can be defined. Can real milk only come from animals? Can an almond really produce something defined as “milk”? Are these substitutions not just sad excuses for milk, just being, in reality, cloudy nut water? If I have regular milk as an option, why would I want to dip my chocolate chip cookie into almond water?
This is without mentioning that, by choosing nut milk over cow’s milk, you ignore the best of what Upstate New York has to offer: fresh cow’s milk. Drive four miles in any direction from downtown Hamilton and you will pass multiple small dairy farms, each filled with adorable herds of cattle walking in their little circular routes around a field. These local farms produce fresh milk. I have noticed that Price Chopper and other local stores sell milk produced almost exclusively in Upstate New York. People have been missing out on some good stuff out of fear of judgment from the “nut water” community for far too long.
Furthermore, how is one supposed to enjoy dessert, especially chocolate chip cookies, without a glass of milk? I’ve seen my friends eat some Frank pastries with water, oat milk, cashew milk and even Coca-Cola. Are people simply afraid to approach the sterile milk machine at Frank? Sure, the milk may come in bags, and who knows when the inside was last cleaned. But still, milk goes so well with dessert that these things can be willfully ignored.
And maybe there is something to be said for those with lactose intolerance. I don’t blame you for being hesitant to drink milk. I really feel for you. The pleasure of drinking milk is in conflict with your gut. But even for those unfortunate souls, there is luckily an answer: the Lactaid pill. No more excuses!
To all my milk drinkers out there who shamelessly consume milk, I applaud you. Stay strong in your milk-drinking endeavors and don’t ever let anyone bring you down. If you stand with milk, continue to fight the fight. The milk crusade will continue for years to come, and the revolution is on its way — dairy’s revenge arc is coming, whether you like it or not.
