Monday, June 22, 2009

The Devil's Brew

(My husband's coffee maker. We call it THE HOLY OF HOLIES!)

What do church history and coffee have in common, you ask?

In her aptly titled book, "Coffee," Claudia Rosen explains that 16th-century priests wanted Pope Clement VIII to ban "the devil's drink." They insisted that Satan had forbidden his followers--Muslims--from drinking wine because it was used in Holy Communion. Instead, the devil provided this "hellish black brew".


The elixir made from coffee beans does in fact have a long history in Islamic regions.
--African tribes mixed the crushed beans with animal fat and molded them into balls to eat as a stimulant before battle.
--Arabs made the first hot coffee beverage, in 1000 A.D.
--Dervishes--mystic devotees of Islam's Sufi sect--consumed coffee at all-night ceremonies as fuel for achieving religious ecstasy.
--Arabs also invented the ibrik, or coffee broiler.
--As coffee lost it's strictly religious significance, the first coffee houses appeared in Mecca.

Clemente VIII,wisely, decided to give it a taste test!

"Why, this Satan's drink is so delicious," he declared, "that it would be a pity to let the infidels have exclusive use of it. We shall cheat Satan by baptizing it."

And so, I am now able to enjoy my coffee, which my husband makes and serves me each morning. Now that's romantic!



My favorite coffee is a Venezuelan blend. Cafe Madrid! We are out of it now, but are substituting with a Brazilian coffee we purchased here. My son in law recently left us some great Costa Rican coffee too.



Do you drink coffee? How much and how often? Any favorite blend?

19 comments:

MightyMom said...

hubby drinks a pot or two a day.

I don't know if he has a favorite, but he did really like it when I got the dark roasted Starbucks beans.

My family has always had Community Coffee. and brewed it THICK. It's literally mudlike!

Betty said...

Yes I love the Devil`s brew too! Unfortunatly I don`t have a hubby who makes it for me each morning.... He doesn`t drink any in the morning, so mostly I`m too lazy to make it for myself, so my first cup is when I get to work. And there it`s "instant" **gasp**!!! :)

Kathy said...

Believe it or not, I've never been a coffee drinker! My grandma gave me Postum as a child, and I developed a taste for that and so never liked coffee. (Yes, I was very mad and sad when they quit making it!) So now I drink hot chocolate, tea, or coffee substitutes mixed with chocolate! I know I'm weird! :)

coffeecrazycde said...

Brazilian:
Cafe Melitta "Especial" not tradicional. You can only get it in Foz - Brazil. Perk of living on the border. We got a great expresso maker - drink two a day: Dark and strong and no milk. Bliss.

Jane said...

Well, duh.....Venezuelan coffee. Right now we are drinking 'Cafe Madrid'.

redneck preacher said...

Wolf extra dark French roast. I am trying to cut back and am down to 10cc straight into a vein.

I am cutting back and am down to one 4 cup pot.

Pony Express is 5 times the caffeine kick. Not as tasty as Wolf but will keep your heart jumping.

HTOITA

Heather Wheelock said...

We are all about Costa Rican coffee too! Once you´ve lived on it, there´s nothing better :-) We just have to figure out how to finance our Costa Rican coffee needs being shipped to Ecuador! So in the meantime we drink Ecuadorian coffee, not as good, but still has caffeine :-)

Anonymous said...

3-4 cups a day. No particular brand, just so long as it's hot.

Anonymous said...

I drink coffee every morning, two cups at least. I just get Folgers, it's the cheapest at Walmart.

Brenda said...

We are particular to Costa Rican. I can't drink much of it these days, but am looking forward to better days when I can drink it again!

Unknown said...

Agustin and I have a cup each morning, sometimes I'll have a second cup, and he likes another cup around 8p.m.with a bite of something sweet. I've gotten so that I've been drinking that late cup with him, but not able to get to sleep so I really need to stop that new habit! We aren't gourmet coffee drinkers though. We're quite happy with our least expensive brand at the grocery store. Sometimes I splurge and buy Dunkin Donuts or Starbuck Breakfast Blend. We love to get specialty coffees as a gift at Christmas or Birthday, otherwise we just stick to the same ol' domestic brand.

Chris Alford said...

We have a local roaster who will roast a Yemen, Organic Peru, or Brazilian blend whenever I need it...he will roast it the night before I use it. Plus Dad brings me Venezuelan coffee whenever he comes to visit.

It helps that I manage a Coffee Bar and crank up the espresso machine every morning.

2 shots, 1 raw sugar, and 2 shots of steaming 1/2 & 1/2 also known as a Cuban...now that is a gulp of heaven.

Hope to purchase a roaster soon...

Michelle D. Argyle said...

Nope, don't drink coffee. But I LOVE the smell of it, and I know if I drank it, I'd be addicted. But that's the point of staying away, haha. So glad you love yours!

Findalis said...

I have to admit that I'm addicted to the stuff. Love the Ethiopian and Kenyan varieties (coffee originally came from Ethopia).

Z said...

Harry & David's Moose Crunch..decaf.
Had to ONLY drink decaf for years because real coffee gave me some weird health syndrome with tingling and stuff.>WEIRD. Lately, I don't get that anymore and OH, am I enjoying ANY REAL COFFEE..not picky anymore after having had to drink only decaf. (I think living in Paris and drinking SUCH GOOD REAL HIGH OCTANE COFFEE did something funny to my system!)
But, I'll tell you what..if anybody can get this designer decaf stuff, you will not be sorry! mmmm

Most Rev. Gregori said...

My favorite is Uống cà phê với nước đá, it is a Vietnamese style iced coffee. Yummy

Charles said...

A while back I started reading the history of coffee. It's as good as a fine novel.

You know I drink coffee, I post about it all the time. I am on a never ending quest for the perfect cup.

My all time favorite is Kenyan XXX dark. A VERY strong brew but as a military brat, and airport bum I am used to mud like java.

I got hooked on Kona coffees when we were there, Same thing happened with New England brand coffees last vacation there. Around here, when I can find it, Aztec brand coffee is amazing.

Recently I discovered of all things Maxwell House Colombian extra dark roast. I am sure coffee snobs will turn up their blunt noises but trust me it will make you slap your granny. Plus I can afford it every day and get it everywhere.

~~Deby said...

Drink Coffeeeee....helllllo...I live in the Seattle area..there is a coffee stand on every corner (almost)....and this is where Starbucks came from...and my pastor wooohoooo...I think he takes the cake for the most consumption...do we drink coffee...
of course...and I am enbibbing as I type on my laptop...
deby
we like Folger's Chocolate Velvet

Sib's said...

Drinking Venezuelan coffee is the best you can drink. I wish I had it here.