The 16th century was also the time when coffee was first introduced to the adoring throngs of Europe. A number of the clergy in the Catholic Church believed that the drink would corrupt their congregations with its great tasting bedevilment. They labeled it Satanic and pressed for it to be banned by the Church.

1511

16th century

Sultan Murad IV, a ruler of the Ottoman Empire, would not have been a fan of Starbucks. Under his rule, the consumption of coffee was a capital offense. The sultan was so intent on eradicating coffee that he would disguise himself as a commoner and stalk the streets of Istanbul with a hundred-pound broadsword.

From that time on, however, none of the Ottoman sultans are known to have drunk to excess. In the palace, as all over the empire, water, sherbet and coffee were the only approved beverages for Muslims and the only ones served to visitors or consumed publicly.

Large sections of the population would lose all respect for the government. They would quickly supplant the legitimate governments of every country south of the U.S. Funding would be diverted from actual law enforcement just to enforce the coffee ban.

In 1746, a royal edict was issued against coffee and tea due to “the misuse and excesses of tea and coffee drinking”. Heavy taxes were levied on consumption, and failure to pay the tax on the substance resulted in fines and confiscation of cups and dishes.

Ethiopia

The earliest credible evidence of coffee-drinking or knowledge of the coffee tree appears in the middle of the 15th century in the accounts of Ahmed al-Ghaffar in Yemen. It was here in Arabia that coffee seeds were first roasted and brewed, in a similar way to how it is prepared now.

First, coffee is nutritious. It’s a good source of riboflavin, vitamin B5, manganese, potassium, and niacin. Coffee is the number one source of antioxidants in the average American diet. The caffeine in coffee has been found to break down fat cells, releasing their energy to the body.

Yes, Americans are obsessed! We drink as much coffee as we can get. For many of us, our mornings aren’t complete without a cup or two to get us fueled.

9 Most Consumed Beverages Around the World

• Water. Water is the most popular drink in the world.
• Tea. After water, tea is the most popular drink in the world.
• Coffee.
• Orange juice.
• Beer.
• Soft drinks.
• Wine.
• Vodka.

Coffee was finally brought to the New World by the British in the mid-17th century. Coffee houses were popular, but it wasn’t until the Boston Party in 1773 that America’s coffee culture was changed forever: the revolt against King George III generated a mass switch from tea to coffee amongst the colonists.

Coffee plants reached the New World during the early 18th century, though the drink wasn’t really popular in America until the Boston Tea Party of 1773, when making the switch from tea to coffee became something of a patriotic duty.

Cowboys made their coffee in a pot over open fire or on a bed of hot coals. They poured ground roasted coffee beans in the pot, mixed with water, and waited until the liquid started overflowing outside the pot. Once it was piping hot, coffee was distributed among the fellows.

1st Wave coffee began in San Francisco in 1850 with the incorporation of the Pioneer Steam Coffee and Spice Mills, which by 1872 would become Folger’s Coffee.