Friday, March 6, 2015

“The Vertue of the COFFEE Drink”: An Ad for London’s First Cafe Printed Circa 1652

No robots were used in the writing or printing of this advertisement.
From Open Culture:
The story of coffee goes back to the 13th century, when it came out of Ethiopia, then spread to Egypt and Yemen. It reached the Middle East, Turkey, and Persia during the 16th century, and then Europe during the early 17th, though not without controversy. In Venice, some called it the ‘bitter invention of Satan,’ but the Pope, upon tasting it, gave it his blessing. By 1652, St. Michael’s Alley, the first cafe in London opened its doors, bringing coffee to England, thanks to a Sicilian immigrant, Pasqua Rosée....MORE
Possibly also of interest:
The Men Who Brew Too Much: "Old Time Farm Crime: The Coffee Spies of the 1700s"
How to Brew the Perfect Cup of Artisanal Coffee
Questions America Wants Answered: "Which Coffee ETF Is Right For You? JO vs. CAFE"
"What Caffeine Actually Does to Your Brain"
"The Coffee Houses of Augustan London"
"The Lost World of the London Coffeehouse
...Here are the main establishments frequented by the stockjobbers and other denizens:
http://www.csun.edu/~hfgeg003/csg/maps/ngs_2000_files/slide0032_image049.jpg
...MUCH MORE