I believe that by knowing more about the little things that bring us joy on a daily basis, coffee included, we can better appreciate those things. Understanding the history of coffee is one way you can gain a greater appreciation for the drink each of us sips alongside breakfast, lunch, and, for some us, even dinner. It is an intricate and often exciting history, so much so that it would likely fill at least an entire book. Instead of providing you with every detail, I will instead hit just a few of the most important highlights.
Beginnings Middle East and Europe
Coffee originates from Ethiopia, but the origins of its cultivation and commercialization come from Yemen. The growth in popularity of Coffee as a drink started in Yemen around the year 1350. Many of the methods first used to cultivate coffee in Yemen are still used by farmers there today. Yemen had a monopoly on coffee for about 200 years because they made it illegal to transport living seeds or plants outside of the country. Despite this, coffee still gained great popularity in Europe as it was shipped in large quantities to Italy, France, England, and other European countries from Yemen. Building coffee houses became very popular especially in Austria (it was the Dutch who eventually managed to get hold of a coffee plant from Yemen, some believe through smuggling). Coffeehouses attracted many scholars. Although they were thought of back then as more similar to pubs than study spaces. This is due partially because the church considered it a product of the devil. In England, coffeehouses were known as “penny universities” because they were a place where anyone could go to discuss politics, philosophy, literature, and whatever else tickled their fancy. It is no wonder that just as coffeehouses were rapidly growing in popularity, many innovations and revolutions began popping up.
Move to the New World
How exactly coffee came to America is a bit of a mystery. There are debates about what colony it first came to, who brought it, etc. For most people, understanding coffee history is not that important because all that really matters is that it did come to America and grew to such popularity that it is readily available to us today. Part of the reason coffee became so popular in America is thanks to the Boston Tea Party and the protestation of tea drinking that followed.
The beginning of commercialized coffee as we know it today began with the Arbuckle brother in the year 1865. They were the first people to successfully sell bagged coffee. I'd like to say from there it was a straightforward shot to buying bags of coffee in the grocery store but it had many changes to go through yet; including the advancements in brewing methods, the invention of instant coffee, and the formation of large multinational coffee companies. Coffee lifts the spirits of many people every day and it has been doing so since it was first commercialized. It was an important commodity to cowboys on the plains who brewed it in pots over open fires. During the war including the American Civil War and both World Wars, it was used to keep American soldiers alert. During WWII it is believed that American soldiers would water down espressos to make them more like the coffee they were used to.
Extra! Extra! Read all about it! - Espresso
Espressos are the base for many of our favorite coffee drinks like lattes and cappuccinos. Espressos are made by pushing hot water through coffee grounds at a high pressure. The invention of the espresso machine began with Angelo Moriondo in 1884 Italy and has continued to be improved to this day. The original machine used steam to produce a large amount of espresso which seemed impractical back then but to me, this sounded better than brewing each espresso individually to fill my basketball-sized mug.
Modernization of Coffee - 1930-present
When most of us think of coffee today, in our modern world, most of us spare at least a small thought for Starbucks. However, Starbucks is not the first of its kind. The beginning of specialty coffee brands, high-quality coffee that is fresh-roasted, and modern chain coffee houses began in Berkeley, Ca. with Alfred Peet an immigrant who had learned to roast coffee in his home country of Holland. Alfred started Peet’s Coffeehouse in 1966 and eventually helped the founders of Starbucks start their company in Seattle in 1971. However, it wasn’t until the late 80’s that Starbucks began to take off; up until then they only sold bags of roasted coffee. When they began to sell brewed beverages they took off quickly. Everyone knows Starbucks as the coffee shop you can find on every corner. The reason for this is because from 1990 to 2000 they opened a new store every workday. I know a lot of people oppose Starbucks because it is a corporation and think we ought to support small business café’s. I fully validate this opinion, but I do think we need to give Starbucks credit. It has shaped the management and aesthetic of many, many coffee shops. Furthermore, Howard Schult who transformed the business into what it is today achieved what he set out to do. He was inspired by the coffee houses he saw on the corner of every street in Italy, and while Starbucks might not have the charm of those Italian coffee houses or even that of small business cafes, it is a reliable source of caffeine. It also completely changed the way we think about coffee today and I think that should be appreciated.