One of the nice little perks of my work is good, and frequent, coffee. Whatever time it is when I go to a perspective client’s home to consult with them about our custom decks and outdoor additions, whether it’s morning, afternoon, or evening, I’m often welcomed with an offer of coffee. This is never a problem, as I really enjoy the brew.

I have memories going all the way back to early childhood of going to my grandparents’ home for a weekend breakfast or brunch, and bring served “coffee milk” made with coffee, sugar, and milk, while the adults drank cup after cup of the real thing. Fast forward several decades and it seems like today the country runs on coffee, for better or for worse.

I can remember when coffee was just coffee (and beer was just beer). Now the choices are endless, just like the controversies. There is way too much about history about coffee to go into in this brief piece. However, when it comes to coffee, the facts and history are amazing if you care to Google it.

Here’s some of my favorite coffee trivia. Hope you enjoy!

• Coffee flows in the morning at the same rate as water spills over Niagara Falls.
• You would have to drink more than 100 cups of coffee to get a lethal dose of caffeine.
• “Espresso” in Italian means “when something is forced out,” referring to the forcing of boiling water at high pressure through pressed coffee grounds.
• There have been five historical attempts to ban coffee, starting in Mecca in 1511 and ending with Frederick the Great of Prussia’s 1777 manifesto declaring the superiority of beer!
• When coffee first came to Europe, it was thought to be a drug that would end civilization.
• Coffee was the very first food to be freeze-dried, a process that was started during World War II to preserve foods. (Says something about our priorities?)
• Coffee wine can be made from the pulp of coffee berries.
• Coffee was originally prepared as a food, mixed with fat to create an energy-rich snack ball.
• Coffee is actually a fruit, the pits of cherry-like berries. We just call them “beans.”
• Coffee beans are the second most traded commodity in the world, second only to oil.
• Legend has it that 9th century Ethiopian goat-herders discovered coffee after noticing its effects on their goats, and that a local monk made a drink with the berries, which kept him up all night.

So much to ponder for something that’s now so ubiquitous. But don’t think too hard, just be sure to savor your next cup of Joe!