inxpot blog

Voluptuous berry! where may mortals find
Nectars divine that can with thee compare,
When, having dined, we sip thy essence rare,
And feel towards wit and repartee inclined?
Thou wert of sneering, cynical Voltaire
The only friend; thy power urged Balzac’s mind
To glorious effort; surely Heaven designed
Thy devotees superior joys to share.
Whene’er I breathe thy fumes, ‘mid Summer stars,
The Orient’s splendent pomps my vision greet.
Damascus with its myriad minarets gleams!
I see thee, smoking, in immense bazars,
Or yet in dim seraglios, at the feet
Of blonde Sultanas, pale with amorous dreams!

In eighteenth century London a coffeehouse was not just a place to get some coffee.  Every important event that took place in Britain in the eighteenth century occurred in–or at least was discussed ad infinitum in–a coffeehouse. Within those walls, scientific experiments were performed, classic pieces of literature were written, conspiracies were hatched, companies were formed and wars were planned.

The first record of a public place serving coffee dates back to 1475. Kiva Han was the name of the first coffee shop, located in the Turkish city of Constantinople (now Istanbul). Coffee was such an important item during that time period, that it was legal in Turkey for a woman to divorce her husband if he could not supply her with enough coffee.