U.S., the biggest consumer of java after the whole of the European Union, is estimated to increase its consumption by +1.5% in 2016-17, to record highs. Also predicted to reach their peaks are demand from China and India at expected +5.3% and +3.7% growth rates respectively (USDA forecasts).<\/p>\n
![2016-07-19_-_Steady_Investor_News_-_Coffee.png](\"https:\/\/zacksim.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/2016-07-19_-_Steady_Investor_News_-_Coffee.png\")
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\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Data source: U.S. Department of Agriculture (June 2016 estimates)<\/strong><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n A Brief History of Joe<\/strong><\/p>\n With the current explosion of java chains serving gourmet\/exotic preparations and cold brews, coffee drinking has come a long way. Although apocryphal, legend has it that the stimulant powers of coffee beans were first discovered in Ethiopia by a goat herder who noticed his goats becoming more energized after eating the coffee beans. It\u2019s said to have spread to other parts of the world including Arabia by the 15th<\/sup> century, and to Persia, Egypt, Syria and Turkey by the 16th<\/sup> century. The beverage made its way into Europe by the 17th<\/sup> century. In Europe, coffee quickly began to replace the common breakfast drinks of the time (beer and wine) as those who drank it found themselves more alert and their work greatly improved.<\/p>\n Reaching America around mid-1600s, a major turning point for coffee\u2019s proliferation in the U.S. mainstream was the Boston Tea Party (1773). Colonists decried an exorbitant tea tax, following which people\u2019s growing preference for java even led to taverns increasingly being used as makeshift coffee houses.<\/p>\n Further, as U.S. soldiers took to drinking the stimulating beverage, thanks to military rations during the Civil War and WWI, their habit sustained even after, spurring a +450% influx of coffee houses during 1920-1930s.<\/p>\n One of the earliest shops offering specialty coffee was Peet\u2019s Coffee & Tea founded in Berkeley, California in 1966. In fact, two regulars at the caf\u00e9 were Gordon Bowker and Jerry Baldwin, who would later go on to found the coffee retailer which practically revolutionized the way America has its coffee\u2014Starbucks Coffee.<\/p>\n Bowker and Baldwin, along with Zev Siegl, opened the first Starbucks in 1971 in Seattle, Washington. Initially it sold only coffee beans and coffee-making equipment. Starbucks expanded into a full-fledged coffee house chain brewing specialty java, mainly under the initiative of Howard Schultz (who was previously the Director of retail at Starbucks) who bought the company in 1987. Its novel delicacies of Frappuccino and Latte, with emphasis on personalized servings, rapidly got imbibed into the urban population\u2019s daily fare. The chain now has over 23,000 stores across the globe.<\/p>\n Trendsetting coffee house chains with origins in other parts of the world include India\u2019s Caf\u00e9 Coffee Day and China\u2019s Momi caf\u00e9.<\/p>\n Bottom Line for Investors<\/strong><\/p>\n Coffee houses\u2019 evolving roasting\/brewing methods have had a big role in whetting people\u2019s appetite for caffeine across the globe. The beverage\u2019s energizing properties coupled with caf\u00e9\u2019s exotic\/innovative preparations have made the drink an indispensable staple in our daily lives. Also, the laid-back cozy ambience of coffee shops has added to their popularity among the socializing youth.<\/p>\n The burgeoning demand for coffee is already being reflected in prices\/price expectations: Arabica coffee futures traded in New York soared +20% in June, the biggest monthly increase since February 2014. Robusta, used in instant coffee, experienced around +4.2% rise last month in London. As coffee\u2019s popularity continues to expand, this is a market to keep an eye on.<\/p>\n \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It will come as no shock to you that coffee is one of the most popular hot beverages among consumers. 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