☕️COFFEE CHRONICLES II:
Previous 🧵talks about how the coffee story started: From the corn of Africa, to the Arabian Peninsula, before arriving to the western world through Turkish traders. Let’s continue the story:
Deutschland und Kaffee:
Coffee made its way to Germany in the early 18th century with coffeeshops in most major cities. Frederick the Great banned coffee saying:”It is disgusting to see the increase in quantity of coffee used by my subjects (…) My people must drink beer.” Women were particularly fond of Kaffeeclatches as it provided a gossipy environment. Scandinavian countries were slower to adopt it, but have one of the highest consumption per capita.
The Brits and the black beverage
In 1650 a first coffee shop was opened in Oxford University by a Lebanese Jew named Jacobs. 2 years later a coffee shop opened in London with the first coffee ad: “The virtue of the Coffee Drink”. By 1700, London had over 2000 coffee shops accounting for more rent than any other business. Each coffee shop would cater to a particular clientele: lawyers, protestant, Puritans, clergy… Women were the first to go against coffee in the UK, they claimed that coffee has “Ennucht” their husband, and claimed that men would “soberize” themselves with coffee. King Charles II tried to ban coffee houses fearing conspiracies, the public outcry was big enough to make the King back down 2 days before the rule would take effect. However towards the end of the 18th century Brits began to turn to tea. Coffee houses turned into private men’s club, while tea gardens were flourishing. The British Honourable East India Company, through its monopoly in China, pushed tea.
The Boston Tea Party
Prior to the Independence, the American emulated the Brits with the first coffee shop opening in Boston. James Otis, John Adams, and Paul Revere discussed about the revolution around many cups of coffee at the Boston’s Green Dragon. During the ’No taxation without representation” period, the King Charles repealed all the taxes exempt the one on tea. The Boston tea party was then created tossing all the tea leaves sent by King Charles. Anti-tea sentiment was born, and during that time the coffee consumption increase by 7 fold in the colonies. The Yankees also like the fact that coffee was growing not too far from them 11/N This is summary of a book called "Uncommon Grounds " by Mark P. If you appreciate the content, please share! #coffeechain #plebchain
