The Untold Tales of Coffee: A Short History

The Myth

You’re probably wondering why there’s so much lore around coffee. Isn’t it just coffee?

Did you ever feel improper while ordering at a Starbucks? Did you find out which is larger, the Tall or the Grande?

How about walking to a nice-looking, trendy local coffee shop and wondering if they sell coffee or T-shirts? It smells delicious, but you don’t see the coffee pot anywhere.

Well, those are some scenarios where myth exists behind the drink. Yes. You’re right. It’s only a drink! A simple drink.

A Micro History of Coffee in the US

Everything about coffee wasn’t always so grand. One reason why we never heard of the Boston Coffee Party. It never happened. Back in colonial times, tea was the drink of preference. Coffee did not gain popularity in the US until during the Civil War. Soldiers  received coffee with their rations. As these men went back to domestic life after the war, they took their new drinking habit to their families. Imagine these rough men making pure, STRONG  coffee. 

The expansion west also popularized coffee as many pioneers improvised meals, baked goods, and coffee around a campfire. 

By the time of the World Wars, Americans were drinking coffee regularly. So much so, the government had to intervene and ration public consumption to guarantee the troops had enough.

Soup  kitchens, during the depression, also served large quantities of coffee. Coffee mitigates hunger. That sad episode in our history had a lot of that.

Coffee Waves Come and Go

“Waves” are just trends, fads. Some are simply the results of history taking a dynamic course as people evolve. Like language. What was derogatory once is common usage today. 

Today, our world is coming apart during this COVID-19 crisis. We had to adapt to staying indoors more than ever before. Out of necessity, we learned to hack our store-bought coffee drinks. I know someone who became a black coffee drinker because she ran out of cream for a couple of days.

Making Coffee is Easy

A simple rule of thumb is one tablespoon of coffee for every cup of water. You can’t go wrong with this measurement. It will yield a decent drink. Now, remember this: you can alter the strength of your coffee by reducing the water ratio. Instead of using 8 oz, use  6 oz. Sure, you can always add more coffee. But ask yourself, what’s pricier, coffee per pound or water by the gallon?

There’s another contributing factor to the quality of your drink.  Water is roughly 97 percent of the coffee in a cup. So, the quality of your water is as important as your coffee beans. If the water coming out of your tap is not good enough to drink, it is not ideal for coffee. Use only the water that you normally drink. Many of us drink bottled water. Then that’s our water for coffee. 

Just by making  these two  easy adjustments, we’ve improved our coffee a great deal.

Recap

Everyone can enjoy a decent cup of coffee. It really doesn’t take much to care for a few “details.” I remember visiting my sister, and she asked me to make the coffee because she didn’t know how. My sister didn’t know how to make coffee! My sister is super smart and talented. What she meant was she wasn’t consistent with the proportions and the results. Sometimes it tasted delicious, sometimes it didn’t. 

Coffee is everybody’s drink. A lot is written about coffee daily. I’m guilty of that too. You could go crazy with stats and science. What you need to know is simple. Coffee does a lot for us. It keeps us going for a little longer.  Hence, the Dunkin’ Donuts slogan, “America runs on Dunkin,” proves true for everyone who drinks coffee, not just America. 

So, which is the larger drink? Tall or Grande? I wanted you to consider the confusing aspects of buying coffee. Specifically at one of the major coffee chains. In another blog, we’ll discuss the lingo and the whys behind some of them.

Things to Remember

Making coffee is easy and for everyone

Recipe: 1 tbs coffee to 6-8 oz of water

Water quality is as important as your coffee