10/15/2024
🚨 New spring 25 course drop 🚨
HUM 2937-05: MWF 9:20-10:00
HUM 2937-06: MWF 12:00-12:50
COFFEE & US History: A coffee tasting course
In many ways coffee is as American as apple pie—which is to say, despite the fact that its historic origins are not actually American, it is a staple that has become quintessential to the American identity and experience. 75% of Americans drink coffee every single day. Americans invented the “coffee break” and instant coffee; they were also vanguards of the second and third wave coffee movements. Whether ordering Pumpkin Spiced Lattes in a drive through, sitting with a mug of drip coffee at Waffle House, or calibrating kettles at home to the exact perfect temperature for a pour over, coffee is centered in American culture. However, although the majority of Americans include coffee in their daily routine, few know much about where coffee comes from or how it ended up in their cups.
This course will examine the coffee industry and the culture of coffee drinking that has emerged in the US. We will consider what it takes agriculturally and economically to get coffee beans into coffee shops, trace the development of coffee houses in early America, and examine the coffee industry’s global impact.
We will drink and discuss a variety of coffees each week, developing an appreciation for regional varieties, roasting techniques, and brewing methods.
