Mad Hatters Tea Party Crashed by Coffee Lovers!

We drink lots of coffee, and enjoy every minute! The cowboy mug you see is our favorite!

COFFEE HISTORY

Coffee dates back to the ninth century. Ethiopian shepherds were the first to notice the effects of caffeine from the seed in the berry which is produced. The berry from which coffee comes, is red or purple. The berry looks much like a cherry, grows on evergreen bushes and is a huge export item grown in different parts of the world.

The flavors that our palates taste result from the species of beans and the roasting process that develops the flavors we know.

Species include
Arabica
Benghalensis
Canephora
Congensis
Excelsa
Gallieni
Bonnieri
Mogenti
Liberica
Stenophylla

We do not order our coffee flavors by these names, but the species are related to the region in which they are grown. We have to assume that the geology of the soils in which they are grown have much to do with flavors, in addition to the roasting process.

Brazil is the leading coffee grower in the world.

Bean plants are grown in shade or full sun. Shade growth is slow for obvious reasons, but from what we have read, produce optimum berries. Since this is a major venture for the coffee industry, most of the berries are grown in full sun. Most berries produce two seeds.

Berries are then harvested by hand, sorted, and the berry covering removed. They are dried, fermented, washed, then roasted. Roasting the beans is where the flavors produce the intensity or taste of coffee.

We always wonder how anything ever gets its name, and in the 1600s, the name for this beverage was named coffee. Like with anything that produces flavors that the palate or body enjoys, word spread rapidly about this beverage after the shepherds took their first swig!

There are studies which show the health benefits of drinking coffee, and like most things we eat or drink have the downside, but appears the benefits outweigh the lesser benefits of drinking it.

The method in which you prepare coffee yields the caffeine count. Drip coffee produces the greatest caffeine content.

Understanding better the process of growing and processing coffee, we understand why the cost of coffee is what it is! It still beats the cost of fuel!

It would an interesting project to grow coffee and go through the process from bush to coffee grounds, and we would like to hear from anyone that does it for their own consumption!


The mug above is one our designs imprinted on zazzle products. Cleo is pro coffee, and has the bean bush on her head to prove it! She is the coffee fashionista!

There is nothing like getting up in the morning, and preparing a fresh pot of coffee on a fire. We have a blue metal enamel campfire pot. If it brews too fast, you get grounds in the coffee that spill over into the pot. John Wayne never seemed spit out the grounds! While we have been spoiled by coffemakers that brew it without the grounds, a few grounds seem to add to the flavor!

The flavor is different when brewed over fire, charcoal, wood, or on a propane stove. But in all cases, there is something different about coffees brewed outdoors versus in our kitchen coffee maker.

That holds true of the food you prepare outdoors versus what you bake or cook inside, the flavor is better. Or maybe it's because my folks always said that!

These mugs are getting harder to find. Glass mugs with Garfield captions. These were promotional through McDonald's in the 70s!

Live on Garfield!

While great fans of Pfaltzgraff and the owner of an entire set of Village pattern, from the 70s, we still have our cups and mugs. These are "real" cups and mugs to serve formally.

Fireking is still popular for mugs, particularly those with designs. Collectors covet some of the more rare designs. The mug handles make some mugs/cups more valuable. We sold a beautiful Fireking snack set several months ago that was complete with the cups and plates.

The mugs you see are the diamond design. One is clear class, and the other the other traditional colors which Fireking produced.

We are not Fireking experts, but love to collect them. Another similar glass process was vitrock, which resembles Fireking. Hazel Atlas glass produced dinnerware through their process. Do not know if vitrock is bakeproof. Perhaps someone out there will know.