This time on Koffee Korner we are going to explore the world of coffee trivia and fun facts. Even though I am in the coffee business, I still learn new things about our favorite caffeinated beverage every day.
Especially when there is coffee trivia game sitting on our center table.
I learned that in the 1700’s coffee houses were also called ‘penny universities’. They got the nickname because it was said that a man could learn as much by conversing over a one penny cup of coffee as he could during a month of school.
Coffee houses of the time were exclusively male establishments and apparently the guys began spending more time over coffee than at home with their families. This caused certain wives to form the “Women’s Petition against Coffee”, a plea to King Charles II to close the coffee houses, not only because of the exclusion of women but also for causing neglect by husbands who spent all their time there.
They sent their petition to the king “Representing to Public Consideration the Grand Inconveniences…from the Excessive Use of that drying, Enfeebling liquor” demanding closure of England’s coffee houses. King Charles proceeded to close the coffeehouses, which created such an uproar, the ban only lasted 10 days.
If only these lovely ladies could have seen the coffee houses of today where the fairer sex outnumber the guys by a considerable margin. I have a feeling some of us guys might want to start a petition of our own in light of all the time and money our own wives..oh wait, nevermind.
I own a coffee house. I’d be shooting myself in the foot…
Luckily we live in a free country (for now, anyway) where the king can’t arbitrarily close establishments on a whim. As a culture, we love our coffee, but strangely enough, coffee consumption in America has fallen by almost 50 percent since the 60’s. Mostly this is because of the broad range of caffeine and energy drinks available today. Our love of that morning pick-me-up hasn’t declined. But our choice of beverages is almost limitless. Til next time…
Ray Vandervalk and his wife, Melissa, own and operate Red Leaf Organic Coffee Company, with two locations in the local area. Check out their Free French Press Coffee coupon on p.3 for a *free sample of the delicious coffee that lives there.
Photo of old poster rendition found online at: www.goldposters.com, where a complete array of old posters are available. Very interesting!