Coffee Culture

The Evolution of the Coffee Culture

by • Coffee • Tags: , , , , • 0 Comments

The Evolution of the Coffee CultureFew food and beverage options enjoy the iconic status of coffee. Indeed, coffee is so important to so many people around the world that it has its very own culture. The coffee culture differs slightly from one nation to the next, yet each subculture has one thing in common: the enjoyment of coffee goes right to the heart of what makes us who we are.

The earliest records of utilizing the coffee plant to create a beverage date back to the Middle East in the mid-to-late 15th century. From there, coffee spread to northern Africa, Indonesia, Europe and, eventually, America. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the rise of coffee as an international beverage is the fact that what we know as the coffee culture did not really begin until after World War II. Prior to that, coffee was just another hot beverage that people drank.

Coffee Consumption in America

Coffee was not all that popular in America until the start of the Revolutionary war. Despite being very popular in Europe, especially in places like Italy and the Netherlands, American colonists still preferred tea until the beginning of the Revolution. But with the Revolution came a new fondness for coffee. The combination of tea shortages and a rejection of everything British led Americans to embrace this new hot beverage as a total tea replacement. We have not looked back since.

Fast forward to World War II and we discover how important a staple coffee was to the millions of soldiers fighting across Europe, Africa, and Asia. When those soldiers returned from the war, they brought their love of coffee back with them. Sitting down for good conversation with a hot cup of java quickly became a vital social experience between soldiers in the late 40s and early 50s. This is where the modern coffee culture was born.

The Local Coffee Housecoffee

The 1950s saw the emergence of the neighborhood diner and its coffee shop counterpart. That trend started in the U.S. before spreading to Australia, Italy, Japan and eventually most of Europe. People began meeting in small coffee shops just to enjoy a good cup and some conversation.

The late 1970s and early 80s took the new coffee culture to the next level by introducing flavored brews and complex blends created by mixing different beans from multiple growers around the world. Coffee shops in cities such as New York and San Francisco encouraged consumers to try new coffee drinks in a more modern setting.

By the 1990s, coffee had become the go-to social beverage among young people. Companies like Starbucks – that were established as national franchises in the 70s and 80s – finally came into their own in the 90s. Today we find that coffee is still just as trendy and competitive as it was three decades ago.

The coffee culture has certainly evolved drastically over the last 80 years. Here at Galaxie Coffee, we are looking forward to where it goes over the next several decades.

How Is the Coffee Industry Evolving?

by • Coffee • Tags: , , , , • 0 Comments

How Is the Coffee Industry EvolvingThe latest statistics from the National Coffee Association USA show that more than 75% of Americans consume coffee. The market is as strong as ever, so there are no real worries that the bottom will fall out of the coffee industry any time in the future. Yet the industry is evolving. It has to. Every industry changes and adapts to customer preferences and rising and falling trends.

So, just how is the coffee industry evolving? There are many examples of microevolution going on all around us. Examples include the development of new flavors, the growing popularity of espresso drinks and competition among coffeehouse chains to dominate the American landscape. However, there are much larger evolutionary influences currently underway that will have a profound effect on the industry of the future. Those influences are the further development of single-serve technology and the “new” coffee culture.

Developing Single-Serve Technology

You may be tired of hearing about single-serve in the coffee industry. Nevertheless, there is no greater force right now directing where things go with coffee. Some 27% of Americans own a single-serve machine; another 12% have serious intentions to purchase one in the future. Even more astounding is the fact that 75% of consumers have a general awareness of the single-serve option.

It is easy to assume that the phenomenon will only continue to grow to the point of completely dominating the marketplace. Nonetheless, that is not likely to happen. Why? Because price will eventually trump convenience. A case in point is the inventor of the coffee pod system, John Sylvan, who does not use the system himself. He has eschewed his own invention because it makes drinking coffee too expensive and goes against the ideals of sustainability. Eventually, the rest of the coffee drinking world will catch up to Sylvan. Single-serve will become passé; it is just a matter of time.

The “New” Coffee Culture

The coffee culture of the 1990s, created by the popularity of chains such as Starbucks, is itself evolving. In an attempt to elevate the morning cup of coffee from the working man’s beverage to something the elite can enjoy, a “new” coffee culture is emerging; a culture that is eerily similar to the wine and gourmet food culture. This new coffee culture is already having an interesting effect on the industry.

For example, cold-brewed coffee is now the hottest trend among millennials. Cold-brewed coffee is not new – it has been around for generations – but it is suddenly popular among younger coffee drinkers looking for a way to differentiate themselves from their older peers. We now have coffee purists whose preferences for gourmet products, different brewing methods, and sustainably sourced coffee beans will influence how the industry does things.

The coffee industry will continue to evolve with each passing year. At Galaxie Coffee, we are committed to providing our customers with the coffee, equipment, and complete beverage service they need for a productive and comfortable workplace. As the industry evolves, so will we.

The Evolution of the American Coffee Culture

by • Coffee • Tags: , , , , • 0 Comments

The Evolution of the American Coffee CultureAs far as commodities go, coffee is second only to oil in the global marketplace. In America, it is the beverage of choice as evidenced by the fact that we are the largest consumers of coffee per capita. However, how did we get here? Moreover, how has the coffee culture in this country evolved over the years? It all started with the American Revolution.

Americans were largely tea drinkers during the colonial period. The vast majority of colonists were of British heritage, and imported tea was relatively inexpensive. Then came the Boston tea party, when revolutionaries overran a fleet of ships in the Boston harbor in 1773, throwing an entire shipment of tea overboard. It was a protest against the unpopular Tea Act, which had imposed a tax on tea and gave the East India Company a virtual monopoly on tea imports.

From that point forward, consuming British tea was considered unpatriotic in the colonies. And because domestic tea production was almost nonexistent, coffee emerged as the replacement hot beverage. It has never looked back.

Post Revolution

America’s newly found freedom after the Revolution resulted in a culture desperate to break all ties with its imperial past. Coffee was now seen as an American beverage while tea was relegated to British loyalists. This gave rise to the cultivation of coffee here in the States and the start of our ‘official’ coffee culture.

With increased cultivation on American soil, the price of coffee began dropping through the early 19th century. Creative individuals also figured out new ways to roast, grind, and blend coffees to achieve different kinds of flavors. Slowly but surely, coffee was being transformed from just a hot beverage into a social drink. Coffee houses began opening in some of America’s largest cities, albeit in small numbers.

Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution is responsible for catapulting coffee into its position as the world’s number two commodity. With industrialization came the ability to roast and grind coffee on a large enough scale to make it affordable for anyone. The Industrial Revolution also brought us mechanical grinders, electric percolators and, eventually, the fancy and highly technological equipment we use today.

The modern coffee culture we associate with the chic, urban coffeehouse can be traced back to Seattle in the early 1970s. The first Starbucks opened in 1971 amidst a number of competitors in the city’s Capitol Hill district. As a city with a cutting-edge technology industry and plenty of young, affluent residents, it was only natural that Seattle’s coffeehouse culture would spread across the United States en masse. Even our 21st-century love of gourmet coffees and designer flavors traces its roots back to Seattle.

Galaxie Coffee is thrilled to be part of an industry that is so vital to America’s culture and economy. As a leading office coffee service provider in the New York area, we do our best to stay on the cutting edge in order to meet the demands of our customers.