A Study On The History Of Coffee Essay

Only one thing matters more than a liquid refreshment, getting a fresh breath of air. But liquids, unlike air, are more than just necessities for life. A simple drink that was used just to quench a thirst had the possibilities of being a political stimulant, economic sparker, and a cultural infuser. Tom Standage decides to magnify the microscopic drops of history that had seemed to slip our minds so easily as just a thirst quencher. Whenever someone picks up a nice cold glass of one of these drinks, they should know the history of it.

The Europeans got coffee from the Arabs in the 17th century when European explorers visited Islamic lands and brought the drink back with them. At first, there was a controversy whether it should be prohibited or not due

A) Coffee originated in Yemen, Arabia where it was viewed as a religious beverage. Over time it spread to Mecca and Cairo, where it became a recreational drink to be drunk in a social manner in large coffee houses. It also became a popular substitute for alcohol, which was banned under Islam. Europeans traveling in the Middle East came upon coffee and coffeehouses and commented on their popularity. But it wasn’t until 1652, when an Armenian servant named Pasqua Rosee opened the first coffee house in London, that coffee transformed from a little known novelty into a wide spread phenomenon. When, in 1658, Cromwell died and public opinion swung in the favor of a new monarchy, coffee houses became central in political debates and commercial business. The trend quickly caught on and coffee houses became fashionable throughout Europe.

sailors. The British sailors were given grog, a spirit mixed with lime juice. This drink contained vitamin

Coffee quickly became the drink of intellect and industry being known to sharpen the mind. Taverns were replaced with a more sophisticated meeting place, the coffeehouse. These “led to the establishment of scientific societies and financial institutions, the founding of newspapers, and provided fertile ground for revolutionary thought.” [4]

Members of the Coffee Cult, the drinkers, battled the likes of the tea, hot chocolate and soda drinkers for land and power since the beginning of time. In fact, the coffee cult was the most victorious among beverage worshipers. Because all pure beans have a bit of caffeine, the crusaders were able to stay awake longer than all the other thirsty ones. The coffee crusades took place over 100 years to conquer the holy lands of South America, where the sacred bean first flourished. Since then, the

2. The author uses sources that date back to the Stone Age, to gather his information on the use of beer. He outlines how society changed from being hunter-gatherers, and relying on the environment for nutrition, to farmers who were independent of scavenging the environment for nutrition.

1. From which advanced civilization/culture did Europeans get the “science” of how to make spirits?

Some of the diffusion of Coffee has to do with Islamic Sufis because the Islamic Sufis began drinking coffee to keep them awake during the night.

Coffee is a beverage that is globally consumed, but also a product that has different values in different parts of the world. The role coffee plays in society differs around the world, from the farmers who grew the crops to the people who constantly consume them. Social theoretical perspectives are capable of showing the different roles coffee has in different societies. Symbolic interactionism, functionalism, and Marxism are three theories which show coffee’s role sociologically. These theories show how coffee affects people physically, how it affects them emotionally, how it leads them to have interactions, how it connects different parts of society, and how it’s economically controlled by a select few.

Coffee played a pivotal role in the scientific and “financial” revolution because the dissemination of scientific knowledge through London’s coffeehouses led to a series of lectures on mathematics and astronomy in coffeehouses and seamen and merchants realized that science could contribute to improvements in navigation, and hence to commercial success. Coffeehouses gave rise to new business models in the form of innumerable novel variations on insurance, lottery, or joint-stock schemes.

The history of beer in the ancient world tells us that early civilizations were able to discover

Coffee has played a major role in the lives of many people around the world. “Yet, poetic as its taste may be, coffee’s history is rife with controversy and politics…[becoming a] creator of revolutionary sedition in Arab countries and in Europe” (Pendergrast xvi). After reading Uncommon Grounds, it is apparent that the history of coffee is intertwined with the aspects of the globalization process, the role of Multi-National Corporations, and global economic issues.

Coffee drinkers all have one thing in common; they want their coffee made to their specification. Most soft drinks, milkshakes, and draft beer are ready made. Coffee has many flavors and that can be an operational nightmare. Starbucks has 10 different types of coffee beans, 12 blends of flavors and loads of special toppings.

The drink was no longer just a utilitarian morning stimulant and has a satellite pastime very European style: the windows from floor to ceiling, special atmosphere, soft music, dozens of varieties of coffee. However, besides all this, coffee is a business not only successful, but also has today a huge potential for development.