Do you know what ‘Apollo’s Wine’ is? At one point in history, this phrase was used to describe a strong black drink that created enough stimulation to keep a human awake during the early hours of the night. Thus began the millennial tradition of drinking coffee as well as the culture of serving it in specific places that became popular as coffee shops.
It is believed that he was born in the year 1000 AD. C. in the dry and sandy lap of ancient Arabia, coffee culture has evolved to the point that today it forms one of the pillars of the contemporary lifestyle in which a day without a cup of coffee is simply unimaginable. The story began with Arab farmers roasting and preparing some beans and spending the afternoons drinking the strong broth to enjoy and benefit from its invigorating after-effects. Unintentionally, this is how the first coffee shop in the world was born, a culture that soon acquired its own identity and flavor.
From the sands of Arabia, the contagion of cafe culture and its main drink ‘qahuwa’, meaning coffee, traveled to Mecca, where it took the form of ‘kaveh kanes’, a gathering place for people to play play chess, hold debates and dance while drinking. this aromatic drink. Given its viral nature, in a short time it had spread to neighboring Turkey, where the first coffee shop called Kiva Han was established in ancient Constantinople, now known as Istanbul, in 1475. Due to its aromatic magnetism, it immediately conquered Cairo, Egypt, and floated to Europe during the 17th century.
Coffee shop culture took on a whole new flavor on the European continent that echoed an identity distinct enough to have endured through the centuries. What could be better proof of its effectiveness than the fact that some cafes that were established at that time enjoy loyalty and patronage even today? One particularly noteworthy example is the Jamaica Wine House, which opened its doors to London’s eclectic inhabitants in 1660 and now operates as a pub, affectionately known as “The Jampot” to its clientele.
The prominent names that were responsible for the proliferation of coffee culture were CafĂ© Le Procope in Paris, which was introduced in 1686, and several first-generation coffeehouses in London. Lloyds, the world-renowned insurance company, started out as a coffee shop, just like Christie’s and Sotheby’s. Coffee itself was known by various versions of the word ‘coffee’ in different parts of Europe, its etymology being a reflection of the country’s traditions.
In England, coffee shops earned the nickname “penny colleges” as anyone could walk in and spend the entire night drinking a cup of coffee and reading the paper, both of which cost two pence. However, the conversation was very similar to that of the ancient Arabs and the cafes soon became popular places for political discussion, creative expression and exposure.
An interesting fact related to the coffee culture at that time was that this place was solely a male domain. Other than the lady responsible for pouring the coffee into the cups, no women were allowed in as part of accepted social norms. But this way of thinking underwent a revolutionary shift over the years, and as coffee culture grew and expanded, it embraced all segments of the population, regardless of age, gender, or any other factor. factor.
Then came the era when coffeehouses began to be used as a showcase for local culture and a platform for a myriad of social activities ranging from music and dance to holding auctions and the rallying point for stock traders, both aspiring and experienced. The current era is witnessing the coming of age of this tradition with international chains like Starbucks dominating ‘roast’.