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Coffee is one of those things that people either love or hate, and the majority of people in the world seem to fall into the former category. Whether we use it to wake up in the morning, to make it through a few tough days, or can’t help but revel in the warmth and comfort of a freshly brewed mug (full of pumpkin spice creamer in the fall, natch), there are a million reasons to brew yourself another cup.
That said, there are probably a few things you didn’t know about everyone’s favorite pick-me-up, and there’s a good chance you’ll find two or three in the list below!
#12. Coffee beans once funded Brazil’s Olympic team.
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The country couldn’t afford to get its athletes to Los Angeles in 1932, so they loaded their team’s ship with coffee and sold it as they sailed.
#11. The world’s most expensive coffee is sh*t. Literally.
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It’s called Kopi Luwak and it’s made from coffee beans that have previously passed through the digestive system of the Asian palm civet. You can try it yourself if you can pay $600/lb.
#10. People used to eat it.
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Historians think that the first African tribes to consume coffee ground the berries together, combined them with animal fat, then rolled the mixture into tiny little energy balls. I don’t know about you, but I’d be down to try that.
#9. Some governments have tried to ban coffee.
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Can you imagine? The nerve! As recently as 1746, Sweden tried to ban coffee across the country. And surprisingly they weren’t the first — governments saw the beverage as too likely to stimulate radical thinking.
Whelp, too late for that now, I think.
#8. It could kill you.
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I mean, you’d have to drink 70 cups (if you weighed around 150 pounds) to actually die, but too much of anything is never a good idea.
#7. Where does the caffeine go?
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There exists the abomination that is decaffeinated coffee, but where does the caffeine go once it’s no longer in your cuppa? Well, it turns out coffee companies sell it to soda or pharmaceutical businesses.
If you ask me, we’d all be better off just drinking it.
#6. Coffee apparently extends the feline lifespan.
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Okay, there’s no actual scientific evidence for this, but the cat that holds the world record for living the longest consumed a cup every morning. Her name was Creme Puff, and she lived for 38 years. The runner up in the category, Grandpa Rex Allen, lived to a the ripe age of 34 and also enjoyed his cuppa joe every day.
#5. The CIA loves coffee, too.
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They have a “Stealthy Starbucks” at Langley, and the employees have to undergo extensive background checks to land the gig. They also can’t leave their post without an escort (not even to go the bathroom? Inquiring minds want to know!).
#4. The average American spends more than $1000 on coffee every year.
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$1092, to be exact, and we’re far from the most caffeinated nation on the map.
#3. Finland is the most caffeinated country in the world.
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While they unfortunately can’t grow beans of their own in their climate, they consume the most coffee of any country out there.
#2. Coffee could one day fuel your car.
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Researchers have had success converting coffee into biodiesel, and the best part is, used grounds work just as well.
#1. Beethoven was that lady in front of you at Starbucks who takes fifteen minutes to order and then sends it back because it’s not right.
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Rumor has it that he insisted each cup be made with exactly 60 beans. Try that one out on your local barista next time and see what happens. I double dog dare you.
I think educating yourself warrants another mug, don’t you?
