Coffee. That aromatic, deliciously bitter, and energizing staple of the American morning. But we’re not the only ones who love our coffee. It’s the most widely consumed drink in the world, beating out even beer, wine, and spirits.

That’s why we have an international holiday to celebrate the magic bean. September 29th is International Coffee Day and the best part might be that a lot of coffeehouses will be giving the stuff away! Reason enough for celebration if you ask me.

Just in case you don’t know where your morning Joe came from, here are a few fun facts you can take to the coffee shop on the 29th:

• It’s believed that the stimulating properties coffee beans were discovered by a goat herder in Ethiopia in the 9th century. 
• He noticed that the goats got very energetic after eating the “berries” of the coffee plant and started to experiment. 
• Members of the Galla tribe got an energy boost from grinding up the beans with animal fat. •
• Around the year 1,000, Arab traders started to boil the beans to make a drink they called “qahwa”. 
• In 1475, Kiva Han – the world’s first coffeehouse opened in Turkey. By 1668, coffee had replaced beer as New York City's favorite breakfast drink. (Yes, breakfast!)

 And the rest, as they say, is history.

Your "Keen on Coffee" Gift Guru,
Linda