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From its motherland in Ethiopia to cafes, restaurants and homes all over the world, the journey of coffee has been a more than a thousand year adventure. It has all the elements of a good and exciting Hollywood movie: spies, smugglers, dangerous sea journeys, empires in expansion, revolutions, the rich and the poor, the powerful, and the powerless slaves.
In the creation of today’s rich West, coffee had a key role as one of the catalysts of the amazing period of expansion that started at the end of the seventeenth century. Coffee took us from the back row to the central stage of the world. For many other places, coffee acted as a catalyst of enormous pain and suffering not easy to forget. During this long journey many governments opposed the culture of coffee. Religious and state institutions were afraid of the joy of life and sense of freedom advocated by coffee drinkers. Coffee became a subversive drink. It drew people together, sharpened their wits, and encouraged political arguments and revolt. This followed coffee wherever it went. History tells us of many kings, priests and powerful politicians who tried to suppress it, but in the end everyone surrendered to the irrepressible bean. At Artisan Roast we are proud to participate in the tradition that started in Ethiopia more than a thousand years ago. We see coffee not only as a drink but also as a stimulant of a progressive social environment where open and intelligent conversation sparks off new ideas and enterprises. Demand good coffee and good conversation will follow. |
