History

History of coffee in the USA 

Coffee arrived in North America in the mid-1600s through Dutch and British colonists, but it initially took a back seat to tea, which was the preferred beverage in the British colonies. The turning point came with the Boston Tea Party in 1773 and subsequent tea boycotts, which made coffee drinking a patriotic act of rebellion against British rule.

During the 19th century, coffee consumption grew steadily as westward expansion brought new trade routes and coffee became more accessible. The Civil War was particularly significant for coffee culture as Union soldiers received coffee rations, and it became associated with American military strength. Meanwhile, Confederate soldiers often had to make do with substitutes like chicory.

The late 1800s saw the rise of commercial coffee roasting and packaging. Companies like Folgers (founded in San Francisco in 1850) and Arbuckle’s became household names. James Mason invented the coffee percolator in 1865, making home brewing easier.

The 20th century brought instant coffee, developed by Japanese scientist Satori Kato in 1901 and later perfected by George Washington (not the president) in 1910. World War I and II further cemented coffee’s place in American culture, with soldiers relying heavily on instant coffee.

Post-war America saw the dominance of large brands like Maxwell House and Folgers, emphasizing convenience over quality.  Coffee became increasingly commoditized and standardized.

The “second wave” of coffee culture began in the 1960s with companies like Peet’s Coffee in Berkeley (1966), which introduced Americans to higher-quality, freshly roasted beans. This movement gained momentum with Starbucks’ founding in Seattle in 1971, though it didn’t become the coffeehouse chain we know today until Howard Schultz transformed it in the 1980s.

The “third wave” coffee movement emerged in the 1990s and 2000s, treating coffee as artisanal craft rather than commodity. This period saw the rise of specialty roasters, single-origin coffees, and brewing methods that emphasized the unique characteristics of different beans and regions.

Today, the United States consumes about 517 million cups of coffee daily, making it the world’s largest coffee market by volume, though Americans drink less per capita than many European countries.