BY: RACHEL WUMKES
There’s nothing quite like that morning cup of Joe. The warmth against your hands as you hold that favorite coffee mug close. As the aroma circles up with the steam, it’s like an electric shock to your senses, jump-starting the day to get you off and running, full speed ahead.
Everyone enjoys their coffee differently. Some people like it straight up – adding nothing to the rich blackness.
It is me. I am some people.
Dark. Hot. Strong. And preferably enjoyed in the peace and quiet of my home while the kids are off at school.
Perfection.
Then there are the “foo-foo” people. They like to douse their coffee with cream and sugar and Lord knows whatever else, turning the liquid gold into some sort of light-colored concoction, taking away the sheer essence that is coffee.
And don’t even get me started on iced coffee…
However you choose to drink your caffeinated deliciousness, I hope you enjoy it immensely. As much as I despise morning time, I do relish my morning coffee, often drinking multiple cups before lunch.
Today, on National Coffee Day, I thought it would be a fun little treat to learn of the origin of this wonderful morning drink. Thankfully, I didn’t have to look far, as the folks at www.nationaldaycalendar.com had done all the research for me! As it seems virtually impossible to paraphrase this information, I decided their description verbatim was the best way to go.
“Many legendary accounts tell how coffee first came to be. However, the earliest credible evidence of either coffee drinking or the knowledge of the coffee tree appears in the middle of the 15th century in the Sufi monasteries around Mokha in Yemen. Here, monks first roasted coffee seeds and brewed coffee, much like we prepare them today. Yemeni traders brought coffee back to their homeland from Ethiopia and began to cultivate the seed.
In 1670, Baba Budan smuggled coffee seeds out of the Middle East by strapping seven seeds onto his chest. The first plants grown from these stowed away seeds were planted in Mysore. Coffee later spread to Italy and the rest of Europe, Indonesia, and the Americas.
While Brazil produces more coffee in the world than any other country, Colombia closely follows. Also, more than 50 countries around the world grow coffee, too. As a result, we choose from a bountiful selection of flavors for the indulgence of steamy cups of the black drink for connoisseurs to consume.”
While there are currently hundreds of gidgets and gazmos on the internet to enjoy the various flavors of coffee at home, we are lucky to have two spectacular Chamber Members who’s sole purpose in life is to fulfill your daily coffee fix!
You can stop by Cabin Coffee to pick up a piping-hot cup of joe in your favorite flavor. Or, if you’re one of those “foo-foo” loving coffee drinkers, they have lots of options for you, too!
And our newest member, Clear Lake Coffee Roasters, produces high quality coffee that is ethically produced & delicious! As an added bonus… they deliver! Check them out at www.clearlakecoffeeroasters.com
So, fill your cup today, my friends. Let the warmth invigorate you as you set forth to tackle all the things on this Tuesday.