What is a coffeehouse?
It is an establishment that primarily serves coffee of different types such as espresso, lattes and cappuccinos. The earliest coffee house dates back to 1475 in Turkey. Kiva Han was the name of the first coffee shop that opened in the city of Constantinople (now Istanbul). Turkish coffee was served black and strong. They took their coffee very serious. That Turkish law actually makes it legal for a women to divorce her husband if he fails to provide her daily with enough coffee. As the old saying goes, happy wife happy life.
1645 the first official “coffee shop” was opened in piazza San Marco Italy. Which Italy is still home to the oldest coffee shop Caffe Florian which is still in operation today. During the era it first opened it was the only coffee shop that allowed women , and was patronized in its early days by notable people like: playwright Carlo Goldoni, Goethe, and Casanova.
As coffee shops started becoming popular, these establishments were not only dripping with elegance, but also became real social hubs. They were a gathering place to socialize, share ideas, and lead to intellectual discussions and critical sober debates. Throughout history, coffee houses had so much impact on society that legend has said Sir Issac Newton dissected a dolphin on a table in a coffee shop.
Coffee even made its way to America and The Boston Tea Party allowed coffee to be come the American Patriotic drink. The Sons of Liberty, were the masterminds of the Boston Tea Party. They were a a well-organized Patriot paramilitary political organization shrouded in secrecy. The great thinkers of the 18th Century would gather at colonial coffee houses/taverns, such as the Green Dragon in Boston, to discuss the important issues of the time. When the British sought to punish the colonies by unfair taxation on tea, coffee became not only the preferred drink, but the patriotic one as well.
Coffee houses are still seen all over the world today. A place of gathering, to conduct business and socialize and enjoy delicious coffee.