THE HISTORY OF COFFEE, PART TWO
Coffee Comes to America
Coffee came to the New World in the 17th century, when it was introduced in the Virginia colony—probably by Captain John Smith, who had encountered Coffee during his travels in Turkey.
After the Boston Tea Party in 1773, coffee became a mainstream beverage in the American colonies. Soon merchants began importing coffees from nearby Martinique, Puerto Rico, and Haiti.
The Coffee Shop and the American Business World
In America as in Europe, coffee shops were social gathering places featuring political discussion and financial transactions. Both the New York Stock Exchange and the Bank of New York were started in coffee houses in the area of Wall Street.
Coffee, one of the fuels of the Industrial Revolution, became part of the harddriving business culture of this country.
Cowboy Coffee
Old-time cowboys on cattle drives, having only a campfire, a hand grinder, and a large pot to work with, simply roasted the beans over the fire and boiled the grounds in water to make the strong brew known as “cowboy coffee.”
One-Way Valve Revolutionizes the U.S.Coffee Market
With modern transportation and the introduction of one-way valve packaging in 1983, a roaster on one side of the country could sell to a retailer on the other side. This led to the rise of the microroaster as well as wider distribution and greater selection of coffees.
The Origin of the Coffee Break
Americans invented the term “coffee break.” After World War II, most factory workers used their rest periods to enjoy coffee they brought to work in thermos bottles—their “cuppa joe.” The term “joe” for coffee came from World War II “G.I Joes,” who were issued packets of dehydrated coffee with their military rations.
Americans like their coffee:
- Approximately 20 million bags of coffee are consumed each year in the USA.
Coffee accounts for 71 percent of all caffeine consumption in the US.- In 2006, the American coffee market reached $29.3 billion— and the upward trend continues.
Specialty Coffee in the American Market
The Specialty Coffee Association (SCAA), a trade association that focuses on quality coffee, was founded in 1982. Since then, SCAA membership has grown to include thousands of brokers, farmers, and daily coffee drinkers. With the growing trend in specialty coffee, more Americans have developed a taste for high-quality, freshly ground coffee—a world away from the instant coffee of yesteryear. The trend toward more knowledgeable coffee consumption continues with today’s growing interest in single-origin coffees.
COFFEE MILESTONES IN AMERICA
| 1668 | Coffee houses open in New York. |
| 1773 | The Boston Tea Party makes coffee-drinking a patriotic duty in America. |
| 1825 | Coffee is first planted in the Hawaiian Islands. |
| 1865 | James Mason patents the first American coffee percolator. |
| 1920 | Prohibition goes into effect in the U.S. Coffee sales boom. 1940 The U.S. imports 70 percent of the world’s coffee crop. |
| 1964 | Boyd Coffee Company opens one of the first specialty coffee stores. |
| 1971 | A new wave of coffee houses sweeps the West Coast, creating new enthusiasm for fresh-roasted whole-bean coffee. |
NEXT MONTH’S TOPIC: The Economic and Social Impacts of Coffee
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