--- title: "A brief history of coffee in the US military" date: "2020-02-05" modified: "2020-10-21" authors: - name: "Blake Stilwell" job_title: "Editor-In-Chief, Air Force Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/blake.md" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-trending/brief-history-coffee-field/" categories: - "History" - "Vietnam War" - "War History" --- # A brief history of coffee in the US military ![]() Americans throwing tea in Boston Harbor was the start of our national [movement]() toward the dark and bitter nectar of the gods. This is why tea time is gone and why we Americans take coffee breaks now. --- Coffee houses were the center of political discussion during the American Revolution. These days, few things are as inextricably linked with the United States and its military as coffee. ![]() *Coffee: the real Arsenal of Democracy.* In the Civil War, coffee was the only fresh food troops on the battlefield could get. It might even have been the difference maker in the outcome of the war, if morale means anything at all. In the [South]() , a pound of coffee could run you upwards of $1000 in [today's]() dollars. Confederate troops desperately used things like roasted corn, rye, okra seeds, sweet potatoes, acorns, and peanuts as substitutes. One substitute, Chicory, is still popular in [New Orleans](). Still, if you've ever had a "coffee" made from one of these, you know it's just not the same. ![]() When future-President William McKinley was 19, he served in the Civil War, hauling vats of hot coffee so front line soldiers could get a cup and soldier on. This story was retold several times during his presidential campaign and proved how everyone in the war felt about coffee. There is even a William McKinley Coffee Break [monument]() in Maryland. ![]() *Hot coffee makes ration bread seem ok. That's how amazing coffee is.* Back then, troops had to roast and grind their own beans. To make coffee easier to make, the Army introduced the first instant coffee. Called "[Essence]() of Coffee," it was basically a coffee reduction with sugar and milk added at the factory. All the troops had to do was pop a can open and add hot water. Unfortunately, crooked entrepreneurs often sold the government spoiled milk, so the Essence not only tasted terrible, it caused a lot of bowel problems to boot. The government quickly switched back to the real stuff. ![]() Coffee even earned its nickname via the military. President Woodrow Wilson's U.S. Navy Secretary [Josephus]() Daniels banned alcohol on ships in the U.S. Navy from the outset of World War I. Coffee filled the void left by the outgoing rum and wine. Sailors were not pleased with the change and referred to the replacement as a "Cup of Joseph," which soon became a Cup o' Joe. ![]() *Somebody get me a coffee pot as big as a WWI field kitchen.* Coffee even helped win World War II. U.S. troops created one of the world's most popular coffee beverages, the Caffé [Americano](), by watering down their Italian espresso shots – which was too strong for their taste palate. ![]() *Also it comes in those tiny sissy cups.* ![]() *Marines make Coffee on Iwo Jima* ![]() *Bring back donut rations.* The Korean War saw coffee being brewed just as much as any other conflict. ![]() ![]() *Frontline coffee delivery. Amazing.* In Vietnam, G.I.s made coffee in the field using [C-4]() explosives as a heat source, as they did with all their c-ration cooking. ![]() *Lifer juice in 'Nam.* You might have noticed women with the Red Cross serving coffee at the front throughout the 20th century. ![]() These days, coffee is one of the most popular things civilians send U.S. troops deployed to war zones. ![]() ![]() ![]() If you're the first one at your unit in the morning and you didn't brew coffee, everyone hates you. No one wants to walk all the way to [Green Beans](). U.S. troops love coffee so much, many got out and started their own coffee companies. Check out [Lock 'n Load Java](), [Veteran Coffee Roasters](), [Black Rifle Coffee Company](), and [Ranger Coffee](). September 29th is National Coffee Day (as if coffee only deserved *one* day of recognition). ## Author Blake Stilwell is We Are The Mighty's Editor-in-Chief, covering military news, entertainment, and history, along with veteran education, employment and entrepreneurship. He is a former U.S. Air Force combat cameraman with degrees in Graphic Design, Television and Film, International Relations, Public Relations, Business Management and Middle Eastern Affairs. After leaving the military, he began working in film and television production in New York and Los Angeles, work that included ABC News, NBC Olympics, and HBO Sports. He then spent two years in Washington with White House Communications, before joining the Near East Foundation. At NEF he served as an International Development Fellow, then Communications Officer, and finally, Media Officer for the Middle East and Africa. Based in the Palestinian Territory, he coordinated strategic communications between eight country offices, international media, and government and NGO partners. He began a career focused on writing and editing in 2015 with We Are The Mighty. He left in 2019 for Military.com, but returned as Editor-in-Chief in 2025. Blake’s work has been seen on CBS News, Fox News, CBC, The Chicago Tribune, Task & Purpose, Military Times, Recoil, Skillset, American History, and was shockingly even used in a Supreme Court argument. He is an avid traveler and small business owner in Ohio, where he spends most of his energy fixing up a very old house. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Twitter]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]() ## More - [4 ways Civil War troops were obsessed with coffee]() - [Coffee alternatives that were used during the Civil War]() - [The presidents and vice president who were military privates]() - [How Black Rifle Coffee Company became a multi-million dollar business]() - [6 reasons why coffee is the lifeblood of the military]() - [Starbucks Donated Free Coffee To Every US Service Member In Afghanistan]() - [MIGHTY 25: From USAF to CIA, Nic McKinley is on a mission to end human trafficking]() - [Black Rifle Coffee Company wants to pump you full of Freedom]()