EARLY AMERICAN COFFEE TRIO
Colonial Blend Coffee had strong competition from wines, liquors, and imported teas. Consequently, coffee was not widely consumed among colonists until their agitation against King George arose due to the fateful tea tax, which is undoubtedly responsible for America becoming a nation of coffee drinkers instead of tea drinkers. Coffee was supplied to the American colonies by trade from the East Indies (Sumatra), and the West Indies (islands of Haiti and Jamaica).
Green Dragon Coffee, East Indies Blend. The Green Dragon Tavern was the most celebrated of coffee houses in Boston. It stood in the heart of the town from 1697 to 1832, providing newspapers and a kind of privacy for business dealings to its men-only clientele. Here they could gather to freely discuss the news of the day over coffee and tea. The basement tavern was used by several secret groups and became known by historians as the "Headquarters of the Revolution". The Sons of Liberty, Boston Committee of Correspondence and the Boston Caucus each met there. The Boston Tea Party was planned there and Paul Revere was sent from there to Lexington on his famous ride. In January 1788, a meeting of the mechanics and artisans of Boston passed a series of resolutions urging the importance of adopting the Federal Constitution pending at the time before a convention of delegates from around Massachusetts. The building was demolished in 1854.
Chicory Coffee Blend. In France, chicory root was roasted, ground, and mixed with coffee during the coffee shortage resulting from Napoleon's continental blockade of 1808. Chicory became a French coffee tradition that was carried to the New World among the French. During the American Civil War, coffee shipments came to a halt during the Union naval blockade of the port of New Orleans. Chicory was again used as an inexpensive means to stretch out the supply of coffee. The blend is now a staple in New Orleans where chicory coffee with steamed milk is served as an essential part of the city's history.
Hand packaged by Oliver Pluff & Co. in Charleston, South Carolina
