Perk Up Your Day: Top 13 Coffee Fun Facts You've Bean Dying to Know!

1. Royal Roast Origins

Talk about a royal roast: the humble beginnings of our modern-day coffee obsession can be traced back to a single seedling, generously gifted from the Mayor of Amsterdam to the King of France in 1714, which then went on a thrilling Caribbean cruise – courtesy of a French naval officer – and fathered millions of coffee trees throughout the Americas!
Source => ncausa.org

2. Peas and Coffeas: The Peaberry Story

If Peas can be berries, surely Coffeas can too, right? Well, turns out they can, and they're quite the quirky beans: The Peaberry, a spherical little oddball found among coffee cherries, accounts for just 10-15% of all coffee beans harvested. Favored for their potentially sweeter and more intense flavor, these unaccompanied singletons are the result of a rare genetic mutation, leading them to be rarer and pricier than their flatter, cohabiting counterparts. So, if you're feeling fancy, hunt down some Peaberry beans from the likes of Kenya, Tanzania, or Zimbabwe!
Source => coffeebarn.ca

Did you know that every cup of tea you sip comes with a hidden superpower? Thanks to L-theanine, your favorite brew can actually help combat stress and anxiety! Discover the science behind this soothing superpower. 🍵✨

=> Fun Facts about Tea

3. Cosmic Coffee Breaks: ISSpresso Machine

Ground control to Major Bean: coffee has reached the final frontier! Astronauts can now sip on espresso while floating in zero gravity, thanks to the ISSpresso machine. Launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in April 2015, this cosmic collaboration between Lavazza, Argotec, and the Italian Space Agency lets the crew of the International Space Station enjoy freshly brewed coffee at 167°F (75°C) and with Earth-based water pressure. Lavazza ensures these space travelers stay caffeinated by supplying coffee capsules year-round, and the machine is secured to a module wall with trusty bungee ropes.
Source => space.com

4. Caffeinating the Troops

Are the troops needing a cup of Joe on-the-go? Fear not, the US military's caffeination situation has got them covered like hot coffee on a chilly morning: They've developed products such as Stay Alert gum, Zapplesauce, caffeinated energy bars, and instant coffee to keep soldiers perked up during missions, even including them in First Strike rations for the ever-mobile soldier. Say goodbye to mid-battle latte runs!
Source => wired.com

5. High-Altitude Flavor Fiesta

If coffee beans could yodel, they'd sing beautifully as they climb the altitude ladder of flavor: Coffee grown between 1200m and 1800m produces some of the best in the world, with complex varietal nuances due to fertile, often volcanic soil that creates highly prized, dense beans –unlike their lower-elevation counterparts who offer simpler, earthier, and less impressive taste profiles.
Source => scribblerscoffee.com

6. Next-Level Norwegian Coffee Brewmancy

Looking to add some pep to your coffee step? Why not take it the "eggstra mile" and become a true brewmancer: Norwegian coffee is made by beating an egg into the grounds and boiling it with water, creating a delightfully smooth and creamy concoction that has spread its whipped wings beyond the fjords of Norway, tempting taste buds of coffee aficionados worldwide.
Source => buckaroobrew.com

7. The Cat-Poop-uccino Conundrum

Who needs regular coffee when you can indulge in "cat-poop-uccino": Kopi Luwak, an Indonesian coffee, is made from beans that have been digested and defecated by civets, and despite its unique flavor profile created by the enzymes in the animal's digestive tract, this brew fetches a high price and has left connoisseurs divided over its taste, with some savoring its smooth, chocolatey notes while others find it inadequate in acidity and depth.
Source => sciencemeetsfood.org

8. Climate Change vs. Coffee Culture

Hold onto your mugs and kiss your daily brew goodbye: Climate change threatens the future of coffee production due to rising temperatures, increased pests, and fungal infections, resulting in stunted growth, yellowed leaves, and reduced growing areas for the Coffea arabica tree, which is responsible for 70% of the world's java.
Source => climate.gov

9. London's 1600s Sipping Scandal

Sipping scandal in the 1600s: London coffeehouses, frequented by political men and writers, faced accusations of brewing political unrest and moral decay, with satirical pamphlets linking coffee to impotence – but there's no proof that London women petitioned against the energizing elixir or viewed it as a husband-dulling beverage; in reality, some women worked in and even owned these buzz-filled establishments, turning them into social melting pots.
Source => smithsonianmag.com

10. Bean Makeover: The Roasting Journey

Coffee roasting: a bean's extreme makeover! In a tantalizing twist of fate, humble green beans embark on a journey of transformation that could put Cinderella to shame. The secret fairy godmother in this tale? Roasting! Roasting is the alchemical process that morphs green coffee beans into their delicious, aromatic selves by causing chemical changes and turning them a scrumptious, crispy brown. The magical bonus? It also banishes the pesky chaff, or silverskin, from the outer layer like an unwanted party crasher, ensuring your coffee tastes like the happily ever after it deserves.
Source => perfectdailygrind.com

11. Espresso's Caffeine Surprise

Hold onto your espresso cups, caffeine connoisseurs: For your daily dose of wakey-wakey juice, one might assume that an espresso shot has more caffeine than your tried-and-true cup of coffee – but brace your beans, because just one 2 oz double espresso shot actually contains about 80 milligrams of caffeine, while the average 12 oz brewed coffee boasts a buzzy 120 milligrams. Turns out, espresso is like a high-octane movie trailer in the caffeine world: a concentrated and suspenseful experience, but shorter in runtime.
Source => kickinghorsecoffee.com

12. The Wartime Rise of Instant Coffee

Before there was Starbucks on every corner, jittery soldiers in the trenches relied on a little less froth and a lot more grit: instant coffee gained popularity as a staple of soldiers' rations during the First World War, then gained even more ground in WW2, thanks to a caffeine alliance between Nestlé and the Brazilian Coffee Institute, leading to the development of the first widely available instant coffee. Freeze-drying technology didn't burst on the scene until the 1960s, making our cuppa Joe a bit smoother and tastier – but it's fascinating to see how coffee not only helped soldiers stay alert, but also contributed to advancements in food preservation!
Source => perfectdailygrind.com

13. Nanopresso: Portable Espresso Powerhouse

In a world where you can never have too much PRESSure: Enter the Nanopresso, a portable espresso machine that, with a simple flex of the forearm, can create whopping 18 bars (261 PSI) worth of coffee-squeezing strength! But fear not, caffeine-loving Popeyes, unlike your daily gym routine, this ingenious gadget requires 15% less force to pump and can be taken apart faster than you can say "espresso on-the-go." Just don't forget to provide the hot water – it ain't no Barista Bluto in that department: For those needing the perfect cup anytime, anywhere, the Nanopresso offers unparalleled coffee extraction, easy operation, and quick maintenance, providing a refined coffee shot experience for all.
Source => wacaco.com