A cup of coffee is a personal daily ritual for many. Caffeinated rituals punctuated the routines of various artists throughout history - although the rumor that Balzac drank fifty cups a day has never been confirmed! 

For the rest of us, coffee consumption remains steady. Today, coffee is widely purchased at ubiquitous outlets – see this breakdown for more data on the domination of certain brands. There is also a strong artisan approach to the production and sale of coffee that has become increasingly popular in recent years.  For connoisseurs, coffee has as much variety and character as a fine wine. Check out this guide for an introduction to the different types of bean.

According to an Ethiopian legend, coffee was discovered by a goat herder named Kaldi, who found his flock full of energy after eating the fruit of the coffee shrub. For an in-depth discussion of the origins of coffee, check our The World of Caffeine: The Science and Culture of the World’s Most Popular Drug. The history of coffee in the U.S. is much more recent. Check out this short documentary on coffee culture in America. For more on William H. Bovee’s success story in the early coffee industry, read the Folgers origin story here.