Coffee…the unofficial National Drink.
First a super simple overview of why Coffee (even though it didn’t originate here) is the perfect American drink.
Histor-Tea
Before the American Revolution, Americans were British subjects and therefore lived by British customs. This included fashion, food, and the drinking of that quintessential English drink, tea.
Now to be fair, the English also brought over coffee but it wasn’t the drink of status like tea was.
In 1765 British Parliament began taxing Americans to pay off debts incurred from the French and Indian War (1754-1763). Americans weren’t too happy.
After a lot of protesting culminating in the Boston Massacre, (where British soldiers shot 5 Bostonians dead) the English repealed most of the taxes…except for the tea…
Well, tea became the poster child for all things wrong with English rule, we had the infamous Boston Tea Party (along with several others in other cities) and tea became, how should I put it….very very unpopular.
Poor Tea. It wasn’t tea’s fault.
Enter a sudden mass appreciation for coffee.
Hey! Did you know…
The Declaration of Independence had its first public reading outside the Merchant’s Coffee House in Philadelphia.
The Comeback
Old traditions and first loves die hard so tea made a brief comeback as THE drink after the War of Independence was over. But then….
There was the War of 1812 which to put it super simply, was a series of economic sanctions from England on the US. Any mass love held for tea was crushed, along with England on US soil. The result was a huge surge in US national pride and a new beverage of choice to really set the US apart from the old country.
Coffee officially crowned as OUR drink of choice.
Household Names in Coffee
Thus begins the stories of the Hills Brothers, Maxwell House, James Folger, and Starbucks.
The modern world of coffee is truly global. Small businesses work with growers and roasters across countries. I like to think of coffee as a universal language that involves all your senses. Coffee is more than a drink. It is an economic currency and a way people connect much the way they did in early American taverns.
Coffee and This Family
Well, if you know ME, you know that coffee is a daily staple. When we travel, we like to sample local coffees and support local economy. We also REALLY like to support small American business. We believe Small American Business is the backbone of the country’s economy and coffee, well, being the lifeblood of myself and America (if you read that little history lesson above), it’s a natural choice to showcase and support.
American Coffee Businesses
Check out these AWESOME Small (Coffee) Businesses. We hope you will enjoy their stories and drink their excellent coffee. And when you do, not only should you feel good about supporting American business but feel a little proud, you’re part of history! Cheers!