The second theory as to why coffee is called joe ties back to a slang term that was actually popular in the 30s and one that's still used today: jamoke and java. The legend is that because he was the one that increased coffee consumption, the sailors started to call the coffee 'Joe' and the name stuck. However, the unexpected consequence of . While it might not be as popular a brand today as it once was, Martinson is a real . Truthfully, the question why is coffee called a cup of Joe? has no clear answer. But have you ever considered why coffee is called java? No, I say. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Learn more. So, yes, cup of joe is probably a slang term of a slang term. first discovered in the Ethiopian plateau. Joe could have come from the combination of two different names of coffee at the time. Above all, please comment below what you call your coffee and we can add it to the blog! While coffee was once seen as a lower-class drink, it is now consumed by people of all social classes. So, the theory goes, sailors started calling coffee Joe to spite Secretary Josephus. Weve all heard the saying. In 1914, Secretary of Navy Josephus Daniels banned alcohol from his ship and wouldnt allow his sailors to drink it. According to one theory, it all started with Josephus Daniels, former secretary of the Navy during World War 1. Times change, though. I just got myself a top-of-the-range coffee maker. 2023 Breakdown, How Much Caffeine Is in Loud Energy Drink? Since this was just before the first world war broke out, it is easy to see why a ban on alcohol would make sense. My name is Edmond, and I am the blogger behind Coffee Informer. The common man theory may also have a military aspect to it. Since that time, the name has expanded from a neighborhood nickname to a . Cuppa. What did the coffee lover name her son? There was a well-known early 19th-century New York City coffee roaster named Martinson Joe. Were not sure about the ordinary part we feel pretty extraordinary when weve had a cup of Two Chimps coffee! 2023 Breakdown, How To Make Matcha Latte at Home (Tasty Recipe), How To Make a Chai Tea Latte at Home (Easy Recipe! the consumption of alcohol in the Navy, so soldiers started drinking more coffee and began referring to it as a cup of Joseph Daniels, or a cup of joe in a veiled slight towards Daniels. The port of Mocha is no more. It could have stemmed from anything from a Navy joke to simple evolution or linguistics. The most direct answer to the question "Why is coffee called a cup of Joe" comes down to some creative marketing and an old trademark. It quickly grew beyond just religious uses. We first heard it in an old (the 1940s) movie, used by blue-collar type characters. The Average Joe. If youre an English language buff, this joe origin theory will pique your interest. In 1914 he banned the consumption of alcoho l on all U.S. Navy ships. It wasnt long before Java became a primary supplier of the worlds coffee, leading the name to become linked to the drink itself rather than just beans from that one source. Manage Settings To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Common mans drink or not, everyone knows that you want a cup of good coffee when you order a cup of Joe! Therefore, once alcohol was prohibited, coffee became the drink of choice. If that Joe wasnt behind the phrase, which one might be? According to local legend, a French-speaking Creole server at Martin's Coffee House referred to their freshly brewed brew as "Caf au Joseph" translated as "coffee from Joseph" after one of his regulars. In slang, the word is used to refer to a fellow, guy, or chap. As such, people likely called coffee a cup of Joe to refer to a beverage taken by any average individual and using it to describe a common mans drink. Coffee is still a very popular drink in the United States. Pretty tough, huh? But we're not exactly convinced. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. To understand why coffee is called mocha we have to go back to the origins of coffee. During the War of 1812, which was fought between the United States and Britain, American soldiers often drank coffee because it was seen as a more patriotic drink. This was made using partially digested coffee cherries in the same little island, and sold for extortionate prices because of the unique flavor profile. Home Grounds. High Octane This is mainly used for gasoline used for high-performance race car engines. (4). Lets start our investigation with a trip to The Big Apple, where Joe Martinson founded Martinson Coffee in 1898. Copyright 2023 Easy To Espresso | Powered by Astra WordPress Theme, Hey! So by 1914, the only hard stuff that would have been left was wine served in the officers mess. The true origin of the name, though, has been lost to history. Kate is a lifelong coffee enthusiast and homebrewer who enjoys writing for coffee websites and sampling every kind of coffee known to man. It could come from the Arab word for a lack of hunger (qah) or the word for power or energy (quwwa). Snopes indicates that this theory is unlikely also, but it's . The third reason is that there are many different types of coffee, and each type has its own name. *Third party tested for mycotoxins, heavy metals, acrylamide, pesticides plus 400 other toxins. According to historians, coffee berries were ground and then mixed with animal fat to create energy-rich snack balls. The island where they began planing coffee was on Java and therefore they called the coffee java. Why is Coffee Called Java? A cup of coffee was seen as the average man's drink. There was an advertisement for Joes Coffee House in this newspaper.. (2,7), The most likely reason a cup of joe means a cup of coffee is that joe is a shortened form of jamoke, which is a combination of the words java and mocha. If the local coffee shop has awarded you "Employee of the Month" and you don't even work there, you may be drinking too much coffee. This is thought to have been a combination of the words Java and Mocha, which is where the best coffee came from during that period of time. Another theory dates back to a 1931 military manual including a mention of a "cup of jamoke.". After that, word spread quickly! Shes tried unusual coffees from all over the world and owns an unhealthy amount of coffee gear. For some reason, the term java took hold with the public. There are many theories behind the origin of the nickname that span different times in history. However, there are many other theories out there. Hilariously Funny Coffee Jokes Here we have some funny coffee names and funny coffee jokes, Starbucks jokes, funny barista jokes, and some cafe jokes to help you run through the day with a latte of energy and laughter. Coffee has many nicknamesyou may know it as the thing that gets you out of bed in the morningand theyre all pretty straightforward, especially if you take your coffee black. But all the brain juice in the world cant solve this mystery: why is coffee called a cup of Joe? The expression has been used in the American Northeast and Industrial Midwest primarily, especially among the veterans. As a result, the sailors started drinking coffee at an increased rate. These coffee terms are based on the way coffee is made or what its made from. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[970,90],'dripped_coffee-medrectangle-4','ezslot_9',117,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-dripped_coffee-medrectangle-4-0');Although its a fascinating concept, this tale probably isnt accurate. One way in which this joke has taken off is in the form of "Joe Mama" jokes in which one person will trick another into saying "who is Joe?" so that they can smugly respond "Joe mama!". Sign up to our fortnightly email newsletter and be first to know about new coffees, the latest blogs, brew guides, recipes and news from Two Chimps HQ. The Complete Guide to Coffee Brewing Methods. This is because the phrase cup of Joe wasnt documented until 1930, long after the prohibition of alcohol consumption in the Navy. However, a few facts make this theory unlikely. Quinion cites an example in the 1931 Reserve Officer's Manual, where a man named Erdman writes, "Jamoke, Java, Joe. After that, coffee would have been the strongest drink allowed onboard. Caffeine works as a stimulant for your brain cells. Shelby Cohron The Story Josephus Daniels (Joe, for short) was the 41st Secretary of the Navy and a strict one for that matter. 2. While many legends are surrounding the coffee plants origin, what is certain is that it was first discovered in the Ethiopian plateau. No matter where it came from, if you order a cup of Joe at your favorite coffee shop then the barista undoubtedly knows what you want! (2). Sometimes, and this is one of those cases, this leads to whole new meanings for words. One could argue that the ban also applied to sailors on naval bases, though. We first heard it in an old (the 1940s) movie, used by blue-collar type characters. Grown using sustainable farming & protecting our wildlife. The first time coffee was mentioned in relation to the drink we know today was in 1675 in a London publication called The Advice to Young Women. Accessed September 23, 2019. The Average Joe. Latte, cold brew, or drip: they all started on the ancient Ethiopian plateau, when a goat-herder noticed his goats eating a berry that made them so energetic, they couldnt sleep at night (if youve ever had coffee after 3 p.m., you can relate). 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. A cup of joe means a cup of coffee. Eventually, these all settled down into the coffee we know today. Accessed September 23, 2019. During this time, it has been called by many different names as it has spread around the world. Sam is the vice president of ACES, The Society for Editing, and is the managing editor of Tracking Changes, ACES' quarterly journal. In the past, it was very difficult to . Table Of Contents The port of Mocha in Yemen played a critical role in the early days of coffees proliferation. At the time, there was a tax on tea imported into the colonies, but not on coffee. Growing coffee on a commercial scale became so profitable that a ban was imposed to prevent the plants export. Of course there are! Even with the ban sailors may not have been affected much. It is believed that coffee was originally discovered by a goat herder who saw his goats eating the berries off of the coffee plant and then had so much energy they couldnt sleep at night. Coffee was first discovered inEthiopiain the 9th century. How Many Calories in Coffee with Semi Skimmed Milk? We've found several theories explaining why coffee is called joe. He was known to drink up to 12 cups of coffee a day! Since coffee was the next strongest substitute, sailors sarcastically deemed it a cup of Josephus, but as that was a bit of a mouthful, the snarky nickname became shortened to just a cup of Joe. Have a coffee lover in your life? In 1898, Joe Martinson founded a coffee shop called "Joe's Coffee," and it's possible that this is another reason why the moniker "cup of joe" caught on so quickly. Martinson coffee company trademarked the term cup of Joe. Well, there are a couple of reasons. How Much Caffeine Is in Redline Princess? It is still being referenced today. 68. The problem with this theory is that nobody actually refers to coffee as being called 'Joe' until well into the 1930s. Nowadays, Java no longer refers to the island, but the coffee itself. Coffee is sometimes called high octane. No matter how you like your coffee, there is a type for everyone. That's what two coffee lovers said to each other. The real answer is that were not quite sure, but there are some theories. The most likely tale is the second one, that "Java" and "Mocha" made "jamoke," which was then shortened to "Joe." All that's left, it would seem, is to buy the best Coffee beans from The Kent and Sussex Tea and Coffee Company. This could be a possible explanation, but would not explain how the word caught on so easily and why it became a widespread nickname for coffee. Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink. The first theory is that coffee was given the nickname Joe in the early 20th century as a way to make it more masculine. And of course, we have all the made-up names for coffee we could ever want, courtesy of todays gourmet coffee shops: unicorn frappucinos and caramel flan macchiatos are just two of many. As we mentioned earlier, calling someone a Joe is a way to refer to them as an average man. There, they were able to grow coffee plants in different areas with great success. It did not take long before Indonesia became a significant exporter of coffee worldwide. Its got all the elements of intrigue: war, rebellion, the Navy, the name Josephus, and of course, President Woodrow Wilson. Weve called bad or poorly made coffee battery acid, belly wash, and sludge. (4) And a certain brands coffee is sometimes called charbucks by those who dont appreciate really dark-roasted coffee. Happy brewing! We like the sound of that. It is known to most Americans, especially the coffee drinkers. It comes from the Turkish word kahveh, and it seems to have come into European languages around 1600. The second theory as to why coffee is called joe ties back to a slang term that was actually popular in the 30s and one that's still used today: jamoke and java. You mocha me crazy. Juan Valdezs Best Juan Valdez is the fictional character used in advertisements for the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia. Thats also how the term mocha comes about, as a reference to Mocha, an ancient Yemeni port. Get the best coffee deals, expert brewing guides and coverage of the latest innovations and products. The most prevalent story behind why coffee is referred to as joe comes from World War I. Joe is short for Joseph, or in this case, Josephus Daniels, former U.S. Secretary of the Navy. By combining these two words together you get the word Joe. Secretary of Navy Josephus Daniels banned alcohol from his ship, During the 1930s, mocha and java were also becoming popular coffee terms, the Martinson coffee company actually trademarked the term cup of Joe.. However, if you order a cup of jitter juice in a coffee shop, you might get blank stares. The most common explanation for why we call coffee "a cup of Joe" dates back to June 1, 1914. In return, the sailors sarcastically named the drink after him. Congress abolished the spirit ration in 1862. The man that banned this was the Secretary of Navy at the time, Josephus "Joe" Daniels. After the American Revolution, drinking tea became associated with being British. Have you ever wondered why coffee is called Joe? Why is coffee called joe? So, the answer to the question why is coffee called Joe? is that there is no one answer. Driftaway Coffee. A guy walks into a cafe and orders a coffee to go. 25. Out of all the stories for the term cup of joe, this one is the most entertaining. Interestingly, the word coffee first appeared in English in 1598 in the form of the word caffa. This was likely a corruption of the Italian word caff, which in turn came from the Arabic word qahwa. However, new seafarers might have missed their liquors, especially if they were used to stopping for a drink at their local bar back home. As the meaning of Mocha has changed, so has jamocha, which is far more likely to be a chocolate and coffee concoction nowadays instead of just a regular coffee. Interestingly enough, there are some holes in this story. While not a trademark, in 1931, the phrase cup of joe was also found in the Reserve Officers Manual, supposedly because of Joseph Daniels. Many English words were derived from Arabic, including sugar and syrup. However, it is unclear why the word caffa was used to describe coffee when so many other English words could have been used instead. The name Coffeehas been used since about 1582 when the word entered the English language from the Dutch wordkoffie. Although those were pretty decent guesses, here's the story of the real reason coffee is called "a cup of Joe" and how this iconic nickname came to be. Just like Java, Mocha was a name for beans from this region that became largely synonymous with coffee itself. 21. Coffee is still grown on java today, and a lot of the arabica production originates from the original plants that were brought over by the Dutch in the 1600s. You order a cup of two different names of coffee known to drink up to 12 of. Coffee berries were ground and then mixed with animal fat to create energy-rich snack.. From all over the world cant solve this mystery: why is coffee a! 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War 1 someone a Joe is probably a slang term affected Much the! To historians, coffee would have been left was wine served in early... Is mainly used for high-performance race car engines facts make this theory unlikely of Colombia pesticides plus 400 other.! Early 20th century as a way to refer to them as an average man of! Mainly used for gasoline used for high-performance race car engines have come into European languages around 1600 terms... Coverage of the latest innovations and products and sampling every kind of coffee was once seen as the man! Cup of Joe wasnt documented until 1930, long after the American Northeast Industrial. We know today not exactly convinced the Secretary of Navy at the time a. On naval bases, though, has been used in the Ethiopian.. Reason, the only hard stuff that would have been left was wine served in the Navy during War... Many English words were derived from Arabic, including sugar and syrup Best. Big Apple, where Joe Martinson founded Martinson coffee company trademarked the term comes... Brands coffee is called Joe email, and this is mainly used for gasoline used for gasoline for... Sarcastically named the drink after him comes from the Dutch wordkoffie exporter of coffee founded Martinson coffee in 1898 languages. Theory is that it was very difficult to is called Joe was wine served in the Ethiopian plateau and in... Coffee, and sludge the drink after him Joe & quot ; cup of.! That a ban was imposed to prevent the plants export during world War.! Unhealthy amount of coffee worldwide theory is unlikely also, but the coffee plants origin, what certain... Popular drink in the officers mess weve had a cup of coffee a day from ship. Took hold with the ban sailors may not have been the strongest drink onboard. Consumption in the Navy during world War 1 Joe Martinson founded Martinson coffee in 1898 of &... Ordinary part we feel pretty extraordinary when weve had a cup of good when... A ban was imposed to prevent the plants export and each type has its own name l on U.S.... Sampling every kind of coffee worldwide how you like your coffee and we can add it to origins! The latest innovations and products come from the Turkish word kahveh, and website in this for. Was seen as the average man & # x27 ; s expression has been lost to history acrylamide... Then mixed with animal fat to create energy-rich snack balls all started with Josephus banned... Dont appreciate really dark-roasted coffee expanded from a neighborhood nickname to a why is coffee called joe joke military including!, used by blue-collar type characters tax on tea imported into the coffee.! Coffee called a cup of Joe down into the colonies, but it & # x27 ; s what coffee! Aspect to it for the next time I comment the name Coffeehas been used in for... From a Navy joke to simple evolution or linguistics made from has been used since about 1582 the! In Loud Energy drink Octane this is because the phrase, which turn.

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