International Coffee Day

Coffee is the second most traded commodity on Earth after oil. Learn exactly what drinking coffee does to your brain.

When you take that first sip of coffee in the morning, you're probably not giving a nod of thanks to the goats behind its worldwide popularity. That's right—thousands of years ago a farmer discovered his goats "dancing" after nibbling on coffee berries and being affected by the caffeine, as an Ethiopian legend has it. Fast-forward to today and we see the rippling aftershock of coffee's ancient worldly debut everywhere in culture and food. Coffee is found in fashion, music, poetry, social clubs, cocktails, candles and much more. So how exactly did this simple bean come to permeate every corner of the world? It's production, cultivation and trade began in the Arabian Peninsula shortly after word spread of the goat farmer and the berry's subsequent use by Ethiopian monks. Shortly thereafter, European tradesman heard stories of the magical bean and included coffee among other commodities, like spices. Today, coffee is the second most-traded commodity in the world after oil. Not only is coffee's history as rich as its flavor, the amazing health benefits it provides continue to be discovered. The caffeine in coffee helps keep your body going during a workout, dramatically lowers your risk of liver cirrhosis (by a whopping 80 percent) and regular coffee drinkers have a 65 percent less chance of developing Alzheimer's disease and dementia later in life. Pay homage to the beverage that helps you get out of bed every morning by learning more about this amazing drink: from berry to bean to tall caramel macchiato.

Why The World Loves Coffee

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International Coffee Day

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Why The World Loves Coffee