> Year 850
First known discovery of coffee berries. Legend of goat herder Kaldi of Ethiopia
who notices goats get friskier after eating red berries of a local shrub. Experimented
with the berries himself and began to feel happier.
> Year 1100
The coffee first trees are cultivated on the Arabian Peninsula . Coffee is first
roasted and boiled by Arabs making "qahwa" --- a beverage made from plants.
> Year 1475
The world´s first coffee shop opens in Constantinople . It is followed by the establishment
of two coffee houses in 1554.
> Year 1600
Coffee enters Europe through the port of Venice . The first coffeehouse opens in
Italy in 1654.
> Year 1607
Coffee is introduced to the New World by Captain John Smith, founder of Virginia
at Jamestown ... Some Canadian historians claim it arrived in previously settled
Canada .
> Year 1652
The first coffeehouse opens in England . Coffeehouses are called "penny universities"
(a penny is charged for admission and a cup of coffee). Edward Lloyd´s coffeehouse
opens in 1688. It eventually becomes Lloyd´s of London, the world´s best known insurance
company. The word "TIPS" is coined in an English coffee house: A sign
reading "To Insure Prompt Service" (TIPS) was place by a cup. Those desiring
prompt service and better seating threw a coin into a tin.
> Year 1672
The opening of the first Parisian cafe dedicated to serving coffee. In 1713, King
Louis XIV is presented with a coffee tree. It is believed that sugar was first used
as an additive in his court.
> Year 1683
The first coffeehouse opens in Vienna . The Turks, defeated in battle, leave sacks
of coffee behind.
> Year 1690
The Dutch become the first to transport and cultivate coffee commercially. Coffee
is smuggled out of the Arab port of Mocha and transported to Ceylon and East Indies
for cultivation.
> Year 1721
The first coffeehouse opens in Berlin .
> Year 1723
Coffee Plants are introduced in the Americas for cultivation. Gabriel de Clieu,
a French naval officer, transports a seedling to Martinique . By 1777, 1920 million
coffee plants are cultivated on the island.
> Year 1727
The Brazilian coffee industry gets its start from seedlings smuggled out of Paris
.
> Year 1750
One of Europe´s first coffeehouses, Cafe Greco, opens in Rome . By 1763, Venice
has over 2,000 coffee shops.
> Year 1822
The prototype of the first espresso machine is created in France.
> Year 1885
A process of using natural gas and hot air becomes the most popular method of roasting
coffee.
> Year 1900
Kaffeeklatsch, afternoon coffee, becomes popular in Germany.
> Year 1905
The first commercial espresso machine is manufactured in Italy.
> Year 1908
The invention of the worlds first drip coffeemaker. Melitta Bentz makes a filter
using blotting paper.
> Year 1933
Dr. Ernest Illy develops the first automatic espresso machine.
> Year 1938
Nescafé instant coffee is invented by the Nestlé company as it assists
the Brazilian government in solving its coffee surplus problem.
> Year 1945
Achilles Gaggia perfects the espresso machine with a piston that creates a high
pressure extraction to produce a thick layer of crema.
Today
Coffee is the world´s most popular beverage. More than 400 billion cups are consumed
each year. It is a world commodity that is second only to oil.