Hello, and welcome to another edition of For The Love of Coffee! A blog about all things coffee exclusively for the staff of Vienna Coffee.

This week I am sending you some interesting and fun facts about our favorite beverage in the hopes that it will spark conversation and a desire to learn more about America’s most-consumed beverage after water (fun fact #1 right there ;)

1. Coffee “beans” are actually seeds.

That’s right, the green coffee beans we receive and roast here at Vienna are actually the seeds of the Coffea Arabica plant, a shrub-like plant that produces bright red cherries containing two seeds that are harvested, processed, roasted, and brewed to make what we call coffee.

2. The most expensive coffee in the world can cost as much as $600 per pound.

Kopi luwak coffee (ie. cat poop coffee) is made by collecting coffee beans off of the jungle floor from the droppings of an animal called the Asian Palm Civet. The digestive enzymes of the small cat-like animal ferment the beans. After being collected they are washed, processed, and sold for an average of $100 - $600 per pound!

3. Drinking coffee was once punishable by death

In the 17th century Ottoman Empire the ruler of the period believed that coffee had mind-altering effects and banned it as a narcotic. Anyone caught drinking coffee could be imprisoned and possibly face the death penalty.

4. Beethoven was a coffee lover (and a little ADD)!

Beethoven was an avid (and exacting) coffee drinker. He would count out exactly 60 beans for each cup that he brewed.

5. Decaf does not mean “caffeine-free”.

According to the Mayo Clinic, an eight-ounce brewed cup of decaf coffee actually contains 2 to 12 milligrams of caffeine. In comparison, a regular cup of coffee supplies between 95 to 200 milligrams.

6. The name Cappuccino was inspired by the robes of monks.

When the cappuccino drink was first introduced in Italy, it was named after the Capuchin friars because the color of the espresso mixed with frothed milk was similar to the color of the Capuchin robe. The name stuck and we borrowed it into English in the late 1800s.

There are endless interesting facts about coffee and I never grow tired of learning more about this most fascinating subject. I hope you enjoyed this brief, light-hearted edition and that it inspired some new ideas and intrigue about this amazing product we serve and consume every single day!

Viva La Coffee!!!

Matt