For all you coffee drinkers out there, today is a wonderful day. For those of you who are not coffee drinkers, today may be the day to get started. If you didn’t read the title of this post, you might be asking yourself why about now.

Today is National Coffee Day. That’s right, a whole day devoted to the cure-all drink we have all come to know and love. Okay, so maybe it isn’t a cure-all drink, but a good cup of coffee does have a number of great qualities, and even some health benefits. And to celebrate this glorious day, many coffee shops are offering discounts on their coffee.

Today is a celebration, not only of a beverage, but of friendship and love. Coffee is often used as an excuse to catch up with someone you haven’t talked to in a while, or to get to know that special someone you have been wanting to talk to, but haven’t made it past a simple smile or “hello.” Coffee is many things to many people, and goes far beyond a simple wake up drink in the morning.

I say the best way to spend today is to pick a person, and sit down with them over a cup of coffee. Even better, try a new coffee shop that neither of you have been to before. This is a great day to try a new coffee shop, or just support your local shop if you’ve already been to them all.

Today was a rough day for me. I had decided to visit Enzo’s Gelato and Coffee Bar in Tempe. This is probably my favorite coffee shop inTempe… or at least it was. I haven’t been there in a couple of months, and when I pulled in today, the storefront had a sign saying that a Cricket Wireless store was coming soon and is now hiring.

It is a shame to see amazing coffee shops closing their doors. Of course, there are some that are thriving. I don’t think I’ve been to Echo Coffee in Scottsdale at a time when they weren’t busy, including the day they opened their doors. That place hit the ground running and never looked back. The problem is that this is the exception, not the rule. Almost exactly a year ago, another favorite coffee shop of mine closed its doors.

After a few minutes of sitting in a parking spot outside of what used to be Enzo’s, searching frantically on my phone, I found another coffee shop not to far away. We headed to Seattle Espresso, a chain, but not one of the monsters. While we were there, the barista was talking to a lot of the customers who were surprised to see her there, because she was working alone but they thought she was new. In fact, she has worked for Seattle Espresso for four years, just at another location. The location she worked at previously had just closed down, from the sound of it, unexpectedly.

There are so many amazing coffee shops out there, which go unnoticed by the masses. And yet, the coffee shops that over-roast their coffee to the point of being burnt are thriving and growing, expanding into new markets every day. It’s about time we started supporting the little guys who make the best coffee. Sure, it might cost another dollar or two every week, but that’s worth it to get coffee that’s better than the average joe.

Drink Ordered: Small Cappuccino
Coffee Roaster: Coffee Beanery (Roasted off-site)
Chai: Pacific
Syrups: Torani
Food: Cookies and packaged pastries
Stamp Card: Yes
Wifi: Yes – provided by the mall
Pricing Comparison: $$$

Website: coffeebeanery.com

The Coffee Beanery location I visited is inside the Superstition Springs Mall in Mesa, AZ. The mall itself was relatively busy, but the coffee shop didn’t have a single customer inside. This made me wonder if it just wasn’t a coffee time of day for the mere mortals, or if this was an unspoken warning to stay away. In the end, I would have to say that it is a little of both.

The barista was very friendly, and asked my wife and me a number of questions to help us decide what we want. She was actually very good at this, unlike some baristas I have encountered in some much “nicer” coffee shops. While we were trying to figure out what to order, another customer walked in. The barista immediately called her previously unseen coworker out from the back. One thing this shop obviously had right was the concept of great customer service.

On first glance, the shop itself looked clean and organized. For the most part, the image of cleanliness and organization was accurate. The outer walls were lined with bins of beans, and shelves of drinkware for sale. The shelves were definitely clean, and there didn’t seem to be so much as a mug turned backwards on any of the shelves. What really disturbed me was the way that a company that roasts their own beans was willing to store those beans.

The bins of beans were clear plexiglas bins with loose closing lids. As if the exposure to light and air were not enough of a problem, the bins also looked like they had not been emptied and cleaned out in over a year. The buildup of rancid oils would be enough to ruin the flavor of even the freshest beans in one of those bins. While I wasn’t able to confirm this, I would like to think that this store was not an example of how the company accepts quality, but simply one franchise.

The barista made our coffee relatively quickly, and even offered to top my cappuccino with ground cocoa or spices. When I picked up the cup, it felt about the right weight for a cappuccino. I was beginning to have high hopes for the overall experience, and thought that possibly the only thing wrong with this shop was the way they stored their beans for sale. This illusion quickly dissipated.

After receiving our drinks, we went to the mall play area, about 175-200 meters a way. By the time we got there, the foam in my cappuccino was already half gone, and a couple of minutes later I basically had a flat latte. Despite the small quantity of milk, the espresso still tasted very weak. The espresso did have a pleasant spice flavor, and a mild nutty aroma. But that was only for the brief moments before the little flavor there was simply vanished. Even my wife’s Iced Fudge Ribbon Mocha tasted cheap.

In the end, the experience was pleasant enough, the baristas were helpful and very friendly. Unfortunately, that isn’t enough from a coffee shop. If you want to be treated well, this is an excellent place to go. If you want coffee, I would recommend looking elsewhere.

I’m sitting in my home office right now, frantically working on editing a short film. While I typically work nights, I flip my schedule for my “weekends” so it is getting to be a bit late for me. Of course, I’m starting to feel the need for a cup of coffee. Naturally, most of you probably assume that means that I’m going to head downstairs, pull my freshly bought beans from their airtight container, and put them into a coffee pot that has a built-in burr grinder, and run purified water through the pot to make the coffee. The truth, if you’ll forgive me, is that this scenario just isn’t the case.

Truth be told, I’m about to go downstairs, dump out the remnants of the last pot of coffee, give the decanter a quick rinse, and fill my $15 Mr Coffee coffee maker with Folgers (gasp). I know, it’s hard to believe. One of these days, I actually plan to get around to doing a comparison of “low-end” coffees, because some of them aren’t as bad as I would normally lead you to believe. Sometimes, you just need a good cheap cup of coffee. In reality, the beans I would like to buy are just too expensive to use all the time. Maybe if my filmmaking career takes off, and I become rich and famous, then I’ll stop drinking coffee that costs less than $50 per pound. Until that day happens, I’ll probably have a tub of Folgers Black Silk next to my coffee pot.

There are times you just have to take what you can get, and that’s okay. I even know people who have said that Folgers Classic Roast is the best coffee they’ve ever had, even after I have brought them a coffee from one of my fancy coffee shops. I may tease them a bit for it, but I will never outright tell them that they are wrong. If you have not figured it out yet, I am very opinionated about my coffee. I’m not opinionated about your coffee. As I said in a previous post, the best coffee is the coffee you like the best. We all have different tastes when it comes to coffee, food, music, politics, really just about anything.

Probably one of the most important things you will ever learn from me is to learn who you are, and be you. I may be a double cappuccino, but that doesn’t mean you have to be. My wife is probably my coffee opposite, in that she is more likely to get a caramel toffee mocha frappe, while I am more likely to get a double dry cappuccino. I guess they are right when they say opposites attract. The thing is, she still likes the occasional sip of my cappuccino, and every now and then I just want a sweet frappe like hers.

So, what’s the point of all this rambling? Really it’s two-fold. First, I just needed to clear my mind a bit, and second I wanted to encourage you to be yourself and do the best with what you have. Maybe you aren’t making as much money as you used to since the economy crashed, and you’ve had to start spending less on your coffee. There is nothing wrong with that. If you just can’t stand the Folgers, or whatever brand you have had to start getting, find a way to make it good. Try sprinkling just a little bit of cinnamon on top of the grounds when you brew your coffee. If you can’t afford coffee creamer, find your local Smart & Final or Cash N Carry, or other similar store, and get a $4 bottle of flavored syrup. It will last a lot longer than the $3 bottle of creamer, and it’s easier to cut out the dairy than the sugar. You can even throw in a splash of milk if you want. This will not only save you some money, it will cut down your calories. And above all, look for the good in every cup of coffee.

Here in the United States, coffee is a part of every day life. We make jokes about Starbucks being across the street from each other, and I’ve even seen an article about Starbucks opening a new location inside the restroom of an existing Starbucks. Obviously this was intended to be humorous, but it makes the point that we are a very coffee-centric society. This must mean that we consume more coffee than people in other parts of the world, right? Wrong.

According to the International Coffee Organization, we’re actually pretty far down on the list. So that obviously means that Italy is at the top of the list. Again, not the case. Italy consumes only slightly more coffee per person than the United States. So, who are the top consumers of coffee?  Believe it or not, Finland consumers drink more coffee than anyone else in the world, followed by Sweden and Switzerland. Interestingly enough, these are also the countries with the highest per capita incomes.

So we can obviously assume that high wages relate to high rates of coffee consumption. Of course, that would be in the same way that one study proved that ice cream sales lead to murder. There are some other factors to consider. Sure, the residents of these countries can probably afford coffee, just like the residents of the US or UK can afford coffee, but we are in the 8th and 10th places, respectively. When you think about the three countries at the top, what comes to mind? For me, I’ve always though of snow. These are very cold countries.

As much as this has been about some interesting facts about coffee consumption, the main point is really that you shouldn’t always base what you “know” off of what seems obvious. Maybe you’ve tried a particular type of coffee, and didn’t like it. That obviously means you don’t like coffee. But wait, when coffee is grown in so many places around the world, how can it possibly all taste the same? They can’t. There are so many types of coffee, each with a distinct aroma and flavor. Even if you think you’ve found the best coffee out there, keep trying new blends and roasts.

If you never take anything else away from this blog, take the knowledge that you always have more to learn about coffee. If you can buy beans in bulk, try mixing two or three different coffees together. I used to work at a coffee shop that had one, very popular, blend that was known as 80/20 blend as well as its actual name, because it was a blend of two beans of different origins and roasts. Find what you like, get it regularly, but take some time to be adventurous. You might not always get something you like, but you also won’t find something better without experimenting a little.

Drink Ordered: Small Cappuccino
Coffee Roaster: Cortez Coffee
Tea: Maya
Chai: Third Street Chai
Syrups: Monin
Other Beverages: Tea lattes, loose leaf teas
Stamp Card: No
Pricing Comparison: $$

Having read the mixed reviews online, I was not sure what to expect from Solo Cafe in Tempe. The coffee shop is located next to a salon in an old strip mall. The shop was fairly busy, but there were still tables available both inside and outside. The interior almost had the feel of an old 1920′s home. There was an old wood stove by the door, and a velvet sofa and chairs by the bookshelves. On the shelves was a collection of books, board games and an impressive collection of records. I don’t know if the record player itself works, but I plan to find out on my next visit.

The barista seemed very friendly, which was nice while we were ordering, but wasn’t so nice when someone she knew came in behind us while we were waiting on our drinks. After about 10 minutes, our drinks were ready. The barista put them on the sidebar, which felt a little awkward, because it meant I had to step past the register to pick up my drinks.

The cappuccino was a little on the wet side, but had decent foam. When I reached the bottom of the cup, there was a decent amount of foam left. The espresso had a slightly sweet, nutty aroma. This matched the flavor as well, with the espresso tasting of a smooth mix of nuts and honey. The espresso was a little weaker than I tend to like it, but still an excellent flavor.

Overall, this was a good experience. If you just want somewhere to relax, maybe get some work done, this is a great coffee shop. I wouldn’t stop by Solo Cafe if I was in a hurry to get somewhere, but it is a nice place to relax, have a conversation, or bring a laptop and get some work done.

What is it that makes the perfect cup of coffee? Is it the roast, the origin of the beans, the music playing while it is brewed? Believe it or not, there have been countless studies on this very topic.

In 1920, the National Coffee Roasters Association tasked Professor Samuel Cate Prescott of MIT with determining what made the best cup of coffee. They provided Prescott with $40,000 (keep in mind this was 1920) to set up a laboratory with the sole purpose of perfecting coffee.  Along with his duties as Dean of Science at MIT, Prescott spent three years determining what went into the perfect cup of coffee.

Prescott determined that the perfect cup of coffee was one tablespoon of ground coffee for every eight ounces of water. The water should be almost to the point of boiling, without actually reaching a boil. A glass or ceramic container should be used to heat the water, so as to eliminate the chance of the metal flavoring the water. The coffee should never be boiled, reheated or reused, according to Prescott’s tests.

So, is this the only way to obtain the “perfect” cup of coffee? Not necessarily. I have seen later studies that have modified the recipe as much as to say that the recipe should be as much as two tablespoons of coffee for every 6 ounces of water. This test postulated that the best flavor comes from this recipe, however the coffee is very strong. According to this study, if you want a weaker coffee, you need to add hot water after the coffee has been brewed to achieve the desired strength.

The reason the recipe varies so widely in different studies is because people vary widely. However, there are a number of things that studies tend to agree on across the board: water, grind, temperature, filter and freshness of beans.

Water

The water should have impurities filtered out. You have to remember that any flavor that exists in the water will show up in the brewed coffee. If your tap water is heavily chlorinated, your coffee will end up tasting like you brewed it with bleach water. If there are a lot of minerals in your water, the mineral flavor will show up in your water, and the minerals can end up clogging the inner workings of your coffee pot.

Grind

Grind is quite possibly the most important, but overlooked, aspect of brewing coffee. If you use a Turkish grind in a percolator pot, you will end up with a cup of wet grounds. On the other end of the spectrum, if you put use a course grind in an espresso machine, you will end up with some slightly tinted hot water being dispensed.

Most home coffee pots use either a cone or flat bottom filter. The cone filter will require a slightly finer grind than the flat bottom filter, unless it is a metal filter. Metal filters tend to take a medium-course grind wether they are cone or flat bottom.

The biggest problem people have with the coffee grind is the grinder itself. Most people who brew coffee at home either buy ground coffee or grind it in a rotary grinder (the kind with the blades that spin around like a food processor). Rotary grinders help you to keep the coffee fresher, but they don’t grind the coffee to a consistent size. While buying pre-ground coffee solves the problem with grinding the coffee to a consistent size, freshness becomes an issue.

So, what’s the best solution for grinding your beans? You need a burr grinder. These grinders use rotating discs with blades that crush the beans to a consistent grind between the disks (burrs). The good news is that home burr grinders have drastically dropped in price the past few years. My first burr grinder, almost 10 years ago, was bought on sale for $75. I now own a much better quality burr grinder, which I purchased in the last 6 months for about $30. Even the cheapest rotary grinders I have seen recently are $22, which means that to get good coffee only takes an addition $7 when you purchase your grinder. A worthy investment if you ask me.

Temperature

How hot should the water be when it hits the coffee grounds? Officially, the water should be “just off the boil”. Coffee pots range in temperature from 198 degrees to 205 degrees fahrenheit. If you are using a coffee pot, you just have to trust that the pot you are using is within this range. However, if you are using a method such as a pour over filter or a press pot, you will need to be sure you are getting the coffee to this point. Obviously, a well calibrated thermometer will be your best source for determining the temperature of your water, but this isn’t the method most of us will be using.

If you heat your water for your coffee in a tea kettle, pan on the stove or in a microwave, you are able to use water that is the right temperature without the hassle of a thermometer. By bringing the water to a boil, you know you have reached the proper temperature, and then some. Obviously, you don’t want to pour it right over the grounds, as this will result in a burnt tasting coffee. The best option here is to let the water sit for about 1-2 minutes away from the burner or microwave. This allows the water to cool from 212 degrees to closer to 200 degrees.

Filter

With so many filter options available, what is the best type to use? The long accepted standard for perfect coffee is the press pot. This uses a form of a metal filter. If you just want an easy clean up, there isn’t necessarily anything wrong with using a paper filter. Although, the paper does prevent the coffee oils from making it to your cup. The oils are the most flavorful part of the coffee, so by using a paper filter, you are eliminating some of the best parts of your coffee flavor.

The problem with a press pot is that it can be much harder to clean. The filter is usually at least three layers, and grounds have a tendency to get caught in the layers. If you don’t have a press pot, or don’t want the hassle of cleaning one, your best option would be to buy a metal filter. These require a little more cleanup than a paper filter, but I think you will immediately be thankful for the switch.

Freshness

Fresh coffee is the single biggest factor that affects the final flavor of the coffee. When I refer to freshness, it’s not just how old the pot of coffee is, it’s also how long it’s been since the beans were roasted or ground, and even when the pot was last cleaned.

Stale beans make stale tasting, flavorless coffee. The best way to store your beans is in an airtight, opaque container, and avoid extreme temperatures. Here in Phoenix, a cabinet on an exterior wall is a horrible place to keep coffee, because the sun has a tendency to heat these cabinets to unacceptable temperatures. It can also ruin your beans to store them in the freezer, despite how common this practice is. I have even toured a roasting plant that stored beans in a freezer to store them until they are delivered, but common practice doesn’t always mean best practice.

It is also important to keep your coffee pot clean. The oils from coffee go rancid, and can cause your coffee to taste especially bitter. You should wash any removable parts in hot water with a mild detergent, and rinse well, every day. Once a week, you will also want to clean your coffee maker with a coffee brewer cleaning solution. You can use a distilled white vinegar, but your whole house will smell like hot vinegar.

Finally, old coffee can also have rancid oils. While old coffee isn’t going to make you sick, it just doesn’t taste good. Even if you refrigerate your coffee, you will want to be sure to mix milk into it right away, or use up the coffee within 12 hours.

The fact is, the best cup of coffee is the one you like the best. I like my coffee strong, but I know others who don’t want the full flavor of coffee, even if it has been watered down after being brewed. For these people, they may like their coffee better at the one tablespoon to eight ounces of water recipe, while I use the two tablespoons to six ounces recipe. Experiment with your coffee, change it up from time to time. Who knows, you may even find a recipe and roast that you can drink black, rather than loaded with cream and sugar.

Drink Ordered: Small Cappuccino
Other Beverages Available: Tea, Wines, Draught Beers, Spirits
Pricing Comparison: $

After my son recovered so quickly from his surgery last week, we decided to take a day trip in Sedona. As soon as we got to Sedona, what did I do? I looked for the best coffee shop I could find, of course. The woman at the visitor’s center didn’t seem to know what good coffee was available, other than what was on the main street with all the other tourist shops. Naturally, I wasn’t looking for the tourist coffee, I was looking for the best cup of coffee available in this little town. I believe this is what I found at Heart of Sedona Coffee.

Heart of Sedona Coffee was tucked away in a shopping center on the west side of town, next to a grocery store. This was obviously a shop for the locals, not the many visitors Sedona hosts on a daily basis. I knew, when I didn’t even see it when my wife pointed to it as we drove by, that this was the shop I was looking for. Because rain was supposed to be coming in that afternoon, we decided to get our hiking out of the way first. Having never been to Sedona to know the good trails, we were naturally drawn to the trail leading up to Coffee PotRock. Our decision was confirmed in our minds as correct, when we saw that we had to drive down Coffee Pot Drive to get to the trail head. With the two children, in almost 100 degree weather, we didn’t make it far enough down the trail to get a decent picture of Coffee Pot Rock, but it was still a great hike, and the pictures I did get were no less amazing than if we had made it to Coffee Pot Rock.

After another hour walking through the tourist shops, we decided it was finally time for some coffee. Sure, we could have gone to any number of coffee shops on the main road, but why would I want to pay tourist prices for mediocre coffee. Maybe I would have ended up getting better coffee, but I doubt it. We headed back to Heart of Sedona Coffee. This was definitely not like the other shops I have reviewed up to this point. On the outside, it was just another strip mall coffee shop, but on the inside it was a rustic contemporary design. High-back wooden chairs surrounded the central tables, while more comfortable chairs and sofas were along the walls. The menu boards had large branches protruding from behind them. What I was the most excited to see was the La Marzocco espresso machine, and Monin syrups. Both of these are sure signs of a shop that knows what it’s doing.

While the baristas were not as outgoing as the ones I’ve met around Phoenix, they were far from unfriendly. The baristas at Heart of Sedona Coffee were refreshingly down to Earth, and fit well with the rustic contemporary atmosphere of the shop itself. The laid back mood led by the baristas continued with the customers. Not only did the baristas smile and greet us, but several of the customers did as well. Once one of the baristas pointed them out to us, my son couldn’t get enough of the children’s books they had on one of the shelves of books they provide for customers to enjoy.

The cappuccino I ordered was very wet, almost to the point of being a dry latte. Probably something they have learned to do because most American customers who order a cappuccino have no idea what a cappuccino actually is. Alas, the search for the perfect cappuccino carries on. Despite the wet cappuccino, the foam was thick and creamy, and the espresso was dark and earthy, just the right amount of bitter. The espresso had a pungent aroma, but not assaulting, and had hints of charcoal and mesquite in the flavor. The roast fit the down to Earth, relaxed feel of this coffee shop perfectly.

If you are ever in Sedona, it is well worth looking up Heart of Sedona Coffee. This is a friendly, casual coffee shop that is set up to accommodate you whether going to get some work done on your laptop, or just relaxing after a hike. Drive right on by the obvious coffee shops, and head to west Sedona on SR 89A for a better coffee shop.

Drink Ordered: Small Cappuccino
Coffee Roaster: Ground Control – Roasted on location
Other Beverages: Teas, Wines and Beers
Stamp Card: Yes
Pricing Comparison: $$$$

Website: groundxcontrol.com

This week’s coffee shop is Ground Control in Goodyear. I’m pleased to say this is another hidden gem. While not immediately obvious from the street, it’s worth spending a minute or two in the parking lot to locate this shop. I visited Ground Control on a Sunday morning. As would be expected, there weren’t any long lines and almost all of the tables were free. Even though the shop did not appear to be busy, there was still a fairly regular flow of customers in and out of the shop during my visit.

Ground control has a few tables outside, but other than that looks just like every other storefront in the shopping center. The inside, however, is a much different story. Anything but plain, the classic contemporary look begins with the oval espresso bar area in the center of the shop, rather than the more traditional placement at the back or side wall. Another, smaller, bar is located at teh back of the shop, next to the roaster where Ground Control roasts their beans twice a week. A selection of jazz, indie and soft rock music was playing at a pleasant volume – not so quiet that you would need to strain to hear it, but not loud enough to be overpowering. The large tropical aquarium is a nice finishing touch.

On display around the shop is a large selection of wines and beers. With their great food menu, and wide selection of beverages, Ground Control is perfect for any time of day. Whether stopping in for your morning latte, or going out for drinks or dinner after work, Ground Control has what you are looking for.

The young barista who helped me was very energetic and upbeat. I knew I was in good hands when he thanked me for ordering a cappuccino, because not enough people order them this time of year. While a considerably wetter cappuccino than I like, it was what I would consider to be a perfect American cappuccino.  I have no doubt that if I had asked for a proper cappuccino, that is exactly what I would have received. The froth was thick and creamy, and had not turned back into liquid by the time I finished the cappuccino.

The espresso itself smelled of cedar, but also a bit sweet. The taste had tones of honey, pecans and cedar. This is one of the better espresso’s I have tasted, which can partially be attributed to the in-house roasting, and partially to using high quality beans, and perfecting the roast. What I found interesting about this roast was how light it was. Many coffee roasters take their espresso right up to the point of being burnt, or beyond. This espresso tasted closer to a full city roast, which made for a much more complex and enjoyable flavor.

Ground Control’s dedication to quality showed in everything I saw during my visit. Not only were the cafe and bar area spotless, I overheard several of the employees engaging in conversations about cleanliness and proper drink preparation throughout my visit. It would seem that quality is not only an expectation, but a way of life at Ground Control.

I walked into the local Starbucks Tea shop this morning, for my morning Darjeeling Latte. As is usual in the morning, the line was long, so I had a few minutes to let my mind wander while I waited for my turn to order. As I waited, I didn’t really think about much, I just started noticing my surroundings.

Some of the pastries in the pastry case looked pretty good, maybe I should get one this morning. Why the siren for the logo, and why did they decide to put a ring around her with the words “Starbucks Tea”? Maybe I should just get a cup of the tea of the day, and cut out all the calories from the milk. These were the thoughts running through my head, and before I new it, I had made it to the front of the line.

I ordered my Darjeeling Latte as always, but decided to be adventurous and have the barista add a couple of pumps of vanilla this time. On the way out the door, I noticed that the line had grown even longer than when I had come in. I was glad I didn’t have to wait any longer for my tea, and felt sorry for the people at the back of the line.

Here in the United States, we have all heard about the Boston Tea Party. It’s required study for any primary school student, and usually repeated in Jr. High and High School. This is considered to be the most successful protest in North American history. We all know it as a protest against the British government, and the East India Company. At the time, there was no single name for the event, people referred to it more by descriptions like “the destruction of the tea” or other similar descriptions. The event wasn’t even named or celebrated as it is now for half a century.

While the Boston Tea Party may have had significant political effects, the social and historical effects go beyond what we study in school. Tea has been a popular beverage for a much longer time than coffee. As I’m sure you will learn if you keep reading this blog, coffee wasn’t even available to most of the world’s population until relatively recent history. What if the Boston Tea Party had never happened? Maybe the story I told at the beginning of this post would be an accurate depiction of life today.

Coffee was first introduced into North America, when traders brought it to New Amsterdam, modern day New York City, in the mid 1600′s. A little more than a century later, tea was still the dominant drink. All that changed with a simple protest destroying a shipment of tea. As the situation escalated, eventually leading to the American Revolutionary War, coffee began to take a much stronger hold as the hot beverage of choice among consumers. By the time of the American Civil War, coffee had firmly taken its place as we know it today.

In a way, you could sat that the Boston Tea Party should actually be called the Boston Coffee Party, because coffee would not be as popular as it is today if this protest had never happened. When the protesters were destroying the crates of tea, they thought they were simply protesting unfair taxation. Little did they know the other impacts their little protest would have on the course of society, especially the change from tea to coffee as a primary beverage.

For more information on the history of coffee, there are a great number of resources available, including National Geographic, CoffeeResearch.org, and the National Coffee Association.

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