After coffee became a hit in The Arabian Peninsula, by the mouths of travelers the word of the dark beverage made its way to Europe. Coffee’s popularity was spreading across the continent regardless of the cautious, who referred to the drink as a ‘bitter invention of Satan’. The controversy grew so strong that after coffee’s arrival to Venice in 1615, the Pope was asked to intervene. The Pope provided approval of drinking coffee after tasting it for himself. Learn how coffee’s popularity in Europe exploded in the 17th century below.
Despite such controversy, in the major cities of England, Austria, France, Germany and Holland, coffee houses were quickly becoming centers of social activity and communication. In England ‘penny universities’ sprang up, so called because for the price of a penny one could purchase a cup of coffee and engage in stimulating conversation. By the mid-17th century, there were over 300 coffee houses in London, many of which attracted patrons with common interests, such as merchants, shippers, brokers and artists.
SRC: Learn more about Coffee’s History in Europe at: ncausa.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=68