8 Fun Facts About Americans and Coffee
America is known for many things, but you wouldn’t necessarily consider it as one of the main powerhouses in terms of coffee (well, minus the giant coffee chains). Learn more about America and its love to coffee.
Are you ready to be be surprised and explore more about America, Americans and coffee? Let's go.
1. Americans LOVE coffee
Coffee is a way for us to gather around and talk with each other about our most important life events. Yes, there is probably a lot of important stuff going on in our lives because we consume 400 million cups of coffee per day! Yup, more cups per day than there are people in the US. This stat makes the United States the leading consumer of coffee in the world. Also worth mentioning that 50% of us (150 million Americans give or take), admitted to drink espresso, cappuccino, latte, or iced/cold coffees on a regular basis.
2. Americans will use technology to get their coffee
Apparently, we are also very tech savvy when it comes to our coffee. According to the latest National Coffee Association (NCA) annual report on coffee consumption, among people who bought their coffee drink at a retail location (but did not use a drive-through), 17% reported making the purchase through an app!
3. CBD coffee is still not that accepted by Americans
CBD, which stands for cannabidiol, is a non-psychoactive compound found in the cannabis plant. These days, people make oil from CBD and infuse with pretty much everything, coffee included. One example to a popular CBD-infused coffee drink is the Latte. It is made with steamed milk, espresso, CBD oil, and sometimes extra honey and cinnamon (because the oil might have some unfavorable taste).
Another interesting information from the NCA annual report is the acceptance (or not acceptance) of CBD infused coffee. Only 20% of people age 18+ reported a positive association when asked about the prospect of the addition of CBD as an ingredient. This was low compared to other responses on prospection.
4. America is a coffee nation with only one state that can grow coffee
With a land mass as large as America, it is only appropriate that we will grow our own coffee beans as well. Shockingly enough, there is only 1 state in the entire United States of America that actually grows their own coffee - we love you Hawaii! It has been actually producing coffee even before it was a state!
As you now (because you read all our articles on Coffee Life), coffee requires certain climate conditions for it to properly grow, and actually taste good. High quality coffee requires tropical climates, rich soil, and high altitudes for it to grow efficiently. While it seems like we have more than that in the US, coffee growers found no luck anywhere else.
Hey, but don't lose hope yet. We have recently discovered that California is joining Hawaii and already has 30 farms growing more than 30,000 coffee trees in the sunny state. Cross your fingers for more states to join the coffee growing biz.
5. Even American Cowboys loved coffee
Many years ago, in the wild wild west, coffee was prepared in America in a similar way to how it was prepared in other coffee nations such as Ethiopia. The green coffee beans were roasted over the campfire, ground in a mortar and pestle and then boiled with water. According to True West Magazine, "Cowboys were undoubtedly the most devoted group of coffee drinkers in the West. As a rule, they liked it strong, scalding hot, and barefooted (black)."
Nowadays, we refer to "cowboy coffee" as one method of making coffee while camping without a coffeemaker. To make your own, put one tablespoon of grounded coffee per coffee serving into a traveling/camping aluminum kettle (8-10 oz of water per serving). Place the aluminum kettle over fire or over the stove, and wait for the water to boil for about two minutes. Then let the coffee and water sit for about 5 more minutes and slowly pour the coffee into your mug trying to avoid pouring out the grounds. To make your life easier when camping, you can also try our quality instant coffee.
6. Millions of lazy people can thank America for creating the "Coffee Break"
Known for its delicious cheese, Wisconsin is also credited with being the home of the infamous coffee break as well! Around 1880 in Stoughton, Wisconsin, Coffee Street was having daily coffee breaks for... coffee. Including mainly Norwegian immigrants, workers of the local tobacco factories started the tradition of taking time off work to drink their cup coffee.
Centuries later, the town still honors their ancestors’ traditions and holds a festival each year commemorating the coffee break and the custom that it started. They call it "Coffee Break Festival and Cup O' Joe All Wheels Show."
7. Americans were even fighting over coffee
Coffee is loved by everyone that it is often seen as something we must have at all times, even during tough times. But imagine if someone stopped you from getting your caffeine fix??
Dating back to the Civil War, coffee was viewed as the only way to get through the daily struggles. Seeing how important it was for people, the Union decided to blockade the coffee amounts that were allowed to be distributed to the Confederate side. As a result the Confederacy searched for other methods of caffeine to keep going through the long hard days. Some of the coffee substitutes were chicory, dandelions, and sweet potatoes. Coffee eventually became so prized that jewelers in the South used individual beans as gemstones.
8. An American invented the instant coffee, or at least it's one theory
While England and New Zealand both believe they were the first country to introduce instant coffee to the world, America is also claiming that same title. In April 11, 1901 Chicago chemist of Japanese descent, Dr. Sartori Kato, applied for US patent No. 735,777 for his “Coffee Concentrate and Process of Making the Same.” It was what is known as the first stable soluble coffee powder. Well, at least even if America wasn't the first country to make it, it was the smartest one to file for a patent.
We package our coffees in America! Try our instant coffee here.
