Why Coffee is Called "A Cup of Joe" The term "a cup of joe" is slang for the term Jamoke . Its also worth noting that the first coffeehouses were called qahveh khaneh which translates to coffee house in Persian. All we know is the nickname has stuck and well continue using it for years to come! So it doesnt make sense that it generated a slang term that wasnt popular until the 1930s. 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. In 1914, Secretary of Navy Josephus Daniels banned alcohol from his ship and wouldnt allow his sailors to drink it. There is a third theory that it may be called a Cup of Joe because it was the drink of the common man. Java is the name of an island in Indonesia and also a type of arabica coffee grown there (theyre nice, full-bodied beans). There are quite a few interesting theories behind this, so if youre a huge fan of naval history and/or etymology, read on! After this, the common people also started calling the coffee the cup of Joe. Michael Quinion states that the term 'cup of Joe' is a concatenation of the many different names already used to refer to coffee such as "mocha", "java", or "jamoke". Secondly, it can be prepared in a dozen different ways. All the coffee issued to Amry men were from the G. Washington Coffee Refining Co. 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! Coffee Affection is reader-supported. When someone asks us if we have had a cup of Joe this morning, it typically reminds us to get our caffeine boost. At the time, there was a tax on tea imported into the colonies, but not on coffee. Well probably never know, but whoever Joe is whether hes someone or no one or everyone we want to celebrate his name in the best way possible. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. As the coffee trade expanded, so was this term adopted in many other countries. The reason coffee is called your average male American name may just be a prolonged joke originating from disgruntled WWI sailors. Diner culture may also have had something to do with it, as more and more diners opened up in the 1950s and 1960s. Coffee is also called Java because of the Indonesian island of Java, which is one of the most famous places where coffee is grown. The name Coffeehas been used since about 1582 when the word entered the English language from the Dutch wordkoffie. From mocha and java to jamoke and joe: the slang theory. I cant really imagine how they would have tasted. However, new seafarers might have missed their liquors, especially if they were used to stopping for a drink at their local bar back home. *Just like the original coffee, jamoke has seen several alternative spellings across the years: jamoca, jamoch, jamok, and jamoka have all turned up. These are the theories we have about how coffee got its nickname. People drink this t. Coffee was often referred to as the common man's drink or the average person's . Welcome to Coffee Brewster. We like to give nicknames to our favourite things. Daniels was the United States Secretary of the Navy during World War I, and he instituted a policy that banned alcohol from all navy ships. In this article, we will go over why coffee is called joe and the origins of other coffee nicknames. Pretty tough, huh? I have to get my daily cup of coffee in by whatever beans necessary. He was known to drink up to 12 cups of coffee a day! The next theory on the origins of the phrase cup of joe is that coffee is the common mans drink: the avereage joe. However, a few facts make this theory unlikely. Coffee is sometimes called high octane. 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 most common explanation for why we call coffee "a cup of Joe" dates back to June 1, 1914. It actually turns out there there are quite a few theories as to why this name was stuck with the delicious hot drink for so many years. Many men were in the military and the nickname G.I. This is because the phrase cup of Joe wasnt documented until 1930, long after the prohibition of alcohol consumption in the Navy. Apparently this theory doesnt convince historians. Last but not least, "joe" could come from "average . Like many origin stories, there are different tales about why coffee is called a cup of Joe. The Martinson coffee company was one of the oldest coffee companies in the US, having been around since 1898. 4. That's what two coffee lovers said to each other. (6). Coffee Brewster is completely reader supported. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. It was never going to be simple, was it? Unfortunately, there is no one clear answer. We all know coffee is life.No wonder there are so many zany facts and quotes about this drink of the gods. First, alcohol was already hard to obtain on military ships, so its doubtful that Josephus Daniels men were affected by the ban. Reusing Coffee Grounds several times Can I do that? 2. Because the term "cup of joe" was initially created and spread through oral means, it's difficult to track it back to a direct source. Joe, jamoke. Have you ever wondered why coffee is called Joe? Jamoke, of course, was a terrible nickname.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'coffeebrewster_com-box-4','ezslot_1',106,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-coffeebrewster_com-box-4-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'coffeebrewster_com-box-4','ezslot_2',106,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-coffeebrewster_com-box-4-0_1'); .box-4-multi-106{border:none !important;display:block !important;float:none !important;line-height:0px;margin-bottom:7px !important;margin-left:auto !important;margin-right:auto !important;margin-top:7px !important;max-width:100% !important;min-height:250px;padding:0;text-align:center !important;}. This is a good theory and could be the explanation of why coffee is often called Joe. Another school of thought has it that the cup of Joe was named after Joe (short for Josephus) Daniels. Other than Martinson Coffee, of course theyve trademarked the term and still crown their coffee the real joe. And while nothing comes close to kicking off the day like a hot cup of joe, these hilarious coffee jokes, puns, and one-liners come preeeettyyy close.. On groggy days, coffee is a loyal friend and lifesaver. These coffee terms are based on the way coffee is made or what its made from. Why does Coffee get called Joe in the United States? 5. Weve all heard the saying. Cuppa. However, the best known is the cup of Joe. During the 1930s, mocha and java were also becoming popular coffee terms. However, the term mocha became popular in Europe via trade routes to Egypt, Malta, Syria, and Turkey. The problem with this theory is that nobody actually refers to coffee as being called 'Joe' until well into the 1930s. Joe is typically used as slang for an ordinary chap, so this theory isn't much of a stretch. Accessed September 23, 2019. The third reason is that there are many different types of coffee, and each type has its own name. Martinson Coffee is still popular in New York, Boston and Florida and even made it into an Andy Warhol print in 1962. The biggest credit for that goes to the phenylindanes, chemical compounds that are released during the roasting process. Another theory dates back to a 1931 military manual including a mention of a "cup of jamoke.". Each country has its own name for coffee. Jamoke itself is another combination slang word: java and mocha. Bonus points if you tell me where the name comes from. A man walks into a coffee shop carrying a big chunk of asphalt under his arm. Coffee was and still is super popular around the world and in Western culture. 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. Their determination saw them steal a couple of coffee plants, which they took back to Indonesia, which was then a Dutch colony. Nowadays, Java no longer refers to the island, but the coffee itself. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. It could come from the Arab word for a lack of hunger (qah) or the word for power or energy (quwwa). If youre a tea-lover or have never taken coffee in your life, drinking coffee for the first time is quite an experience. As a result, many Americans started drinking coffee instead of tea. 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. 2023 Breakdown, How Much Caffeine Is in Loud Energy Drink? The first usage of this phrase was found in a Reserve Officers Manual in 1931. When you write the word as many times as I do, you desperately need to find other names for coffee. This theory does not place its bets on either history, fiction, or lore. Accessed September 23, 2019. Why Is Coffee Called Joe? In other words, joe has a military origin. How Many Calories in Coffee with Semi Skimmed Milk? Best Booths at New York City Coffee Festival 2019. While it might not be as popular a brand today as it once was, Martinson is a real . The port of Mocha is no more. Coffee Puns You'll Love a Latte. As secretary of the Navy, hed banned alcohol consumption, leaving American sailors with coffee as the only substitute. Martinson coffee company trademarked the term cup of Joe. Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink. Out of all the stories for the term cup of joe, this one is the most entertaining. The most likely explanation is that coffee became known as Joe because it was seen as a drink for the average man. Coffee goes by many nicknames, bean juice, java, brew, and the most common, a cup of Joe. They were essentially the original advertisers of single-origin coffee. 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