Coffee Evolution: How The US Changed Coffee

Tuesday, October 10, 2017

In the early 1990s, a fad swept the nation. A resurgence of the coffeehouse as an arts and culture center for young people gave way to an entirely new coffee culture, geared not toward a.m. commuters or late night workers, but creative youth subcultures, not unlike the beatnik coffeehouses of the 50s and 60s. The way this fad informed coffee culture as we see it today is apparent in the myriad of flavored roasts, over-the-top barista specialties, and chic coffeehouse franchises.

When espresso first landed stateside, it was a delicacy enjoyed by few. As those first cappuccinos and lattes found purchase with the buying public, coffee as a leisurely beverage became a common idea. It would be a half a century later that coffee came to be associated with American art movements such as jazz, beat poetry, and postmodern art.

In another 30 or so years, coffee would arrive back on the youth culture scene as if brand new, ushering a new generation of artists, musicians, and misfits out from the fringes of society and into the mainstream. As that youth culture became commodified, as youth culture tends to be, coffee became a sort of mascot supported by the concurrent globalization of franchises such as Starbucks, Peets and The Coffee and Tea Leaf, which in turn facilitated the rise of smaller, community coffee shops, such as Cafe Delirium.

For more coffee culture reveries, visit Cafe Delirium’s blog. Visit our drink menu or our food menu.