The surprisingly weird, wonderful stories behind your favorite brews
Oh, I think you’re kinda bored with comparing gadgets again, or brewing your 82nd V60 in a slightly different way, right? (But how can you be? It’s so fun!!!!)
Still, today I wanted to calm your coffee obsession just a little — with something that doesn’t need a scale or a timer. Let’s talk stories. Curious, sometimes ridiculous, and totally caffeinated stories about coffee. Because honestly, what else would we be talking about here?
Every coffee drink has a story — some are true, some are totally made up, and most are somewhere in between. So let’s grab a mug and time-travel through the wild (and highly caffeinated) history of how some of the world’s favorite coffees came to be.
1. Kaldi and the Goats Who Couldn't Chill
Legend has it that coffee was discovered in 9th-century Ethiopia by a goat herder named Kaldi. One day, Kaldi noticed his goats were acting very energetic after eating some bright red cherries from a nearby bush. The goats danced, jumped, and skipped sleep — basically turning into little goat rave machines.
Kaldi brought the berries to a local monastery, hoping the monks would explain what was going on. But the first monk threw the berries into the fire (classic). As the beans roasted, a delicious aroma filled the air. Curious, they raked the beans out of the fire, ground them up, mixed them with hot water — and boom: the first primitive cup of coffee.
But wait—is this true?
Probably not. The Kaldi tale is more legend than fact, first written down centuries later. The real origin of coffee is murkier — but what is true is that coffee drinking began in Ethiopia and Yemen, likely as a brewed infusion of dried berries before evolving into roasted beans and complex methods we know today.
Still, we owe a nod to Kaldi and his party goats. Without them, who knows — we might still be drinking tea.
Image credit: Don Pablo Coffee Blog
2. Espresso: Fast Coffee for Fast People
The espresso was born in Italy in the early 20th century, thanks to the industrial age's obsession with speed and efficiency. Workers wanted coffee now, not in 5 minutes. Enter the steam-powered espresso machine — forcing hot water through finely ground coffee in under 30 seconds.
Who built it?
The first real espresso machine was invented by Luigi Bezzera in 1901. His goal? Make coffee faster for busy people — especially factory workers. Bezzera’s invention was improved by Desiderio Pavoni, who commercialized it. And yes, La Pavoni is still a brand today.
"Espresso" vs. "Expresso"?
"Espresso" comes from the Italian "caffè espresso", meaning “pressed-out coffee.” The term has nothing to do with express trains, though the confusion makes sense — espresso was fast, and so were trains. "Expresso" is just a common mispronunciation... but it’s caught on in some places (especially in English-speaking countries), even though coffee lovers might silently judge you.
3. Cappuccino: The Monks’ Robe in a Cup
The cappuccino gets its name from the Capuchin monks, a 16th-century Franciscan order. Their robes were a distinctive brown with a lighter hood — which reminded Italians of the color of espresso mixed with steamed milk and foam. So they called the drink cappuccino, as a nod to the monks' “cappuccio” (hood).
Monks, apparently, were the original coffee influencers.
Cappuccino as we know it developed after the invention of the espresso machine. Before that, people just added milk to coffee. But with the espresso revolution came textured milk — creamy, foamy, and rich. By the 1930s and 40s, cappuccinos were making waves in Italian cafés.
4. Flat White: The Cappuccino’s Cooler Cousin
The flat white is smooth, silky, and no-fuss. But behind this velvety drink is a decades-long coffee war between Australia and New Zealand, both of whom claim to have invented it.
So where did it come from?
Most agree the flat white emerged in the 1980s, when customers got tired of overly frothy cappuccinos with foam mountains. Baristas started "calming down" the cappuccino — using less foam, more steamed milk, and pouring it flat across the top of the espresso. Hence: flat white.
It’s a cappuccino for people who don’t want a milk moustache. Or latte art shaped like a swan.
5. Americano: Born from War, Water, and Italian Espresso
During World War II, American soldiers in Italy were hit with a shock: Italian espresso was way stronger than the drip coffee they were used to. So they improvised. By adding hot water to their espresso, they made it more drinkable — at least for them. Locals started calling it Caffè Americano (“American coffee”), and the name stuck.
That became the Americano: espresso + hot water. And no, it’s not just a “weaker espresso.” It has a different extraction and a different flavor profile — bolder than filter coffee, smoother than straight espresso.
So next time someone calls an Americano boring, tell them it’s battle-tested.
Bonus: Napoleon Bonaparte and His Coffee Obsession
Napoleon may have conquered most of Europe, but his true passion? Coffee. The French emperor was known to consume it obsessively — black, bitter, and in large amounts. He drank it constantly, especially during battles, and reportedly had a taste for it extra strong. No oat milk, no sugar, just pure caffeine courage in a cup. He even reportedly said:
“I would rather suffer with coffee than be senseless.”
Some stories say he drank it before battles to stay alert, and others claim it helped him think faster. Whether that’s romanticized or true, one thing is certain: coffee was the fuel of empires, not just sleepy mornings. We can’t confirm if it helped him win wars — but it definitely helped him stay awake plotting world domination.
Next time you take a sip, remember — your coffee isn’t just hot water and beans. It’s centuries of legend, culture, invention, and a little bit of goat magic. And we think that makes your morning cup taste even better.
And what about Shavi? Well, there’s a legend too...
They say there’s a tiny flock of coffee birds (black, obviously) that fly between continents — whispering tasting notes into the ears of roasters who truly listen. One day, they landed in Tbilisi and said, “You’re ready.”
From that day on, Shavi Coffee Roasters began bringing beans from faraway farms to curious cups in Georgia — carefully roasted, sometimes a little weird, always delicious. No monks or soldiers needed.
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