Who is this Joe, and what’s he hiding in a cup? When and where did this start? So many questions, so little time, and lots of conjecture.
Legends. It’s believed that wild coffee plants originated in Ethiopia, but the brew itself came from Yemen, where the beans were harvested, roasted, and prepared as a drink. But why? Muslims in the 1400s used it to help their concentration during night prayers. That makes sense, but it could be something else.
Other guesses suggest a 9th-century Arab goatherder noticed the energizing effects when his flock nibbled on the bright red berries of a certain bush. He chewed on the fruit himself and felt a similar effect, so he brought the berries to a nearby Islamic monastery. The monk disapproved and threw them into the fire. This resulted in an enticing aroma that caused other monks to investigate. The roasted beans were pulled from the embers, ground up, and dissolved in hot water. This yielded (fanfare) the World’s First Cup of Coffee. But, this is still a guess. Maybe a better one than the first, but a guess, nonetheless
A different 13th-century account involves a mystic traveling in Ethiopia. The legend said he observed birds of “unusual vitality” feeding on berries. When he tried the berries, he experienced the same effect. I doubt this meant he started flying around, who knows…It’s a legend.
However, we’re not out of myths just yet. Another attributes the discovery of coffee to Omar, who was banished from Mecca to a desert cave. Starving, Omar chewed berries from nearby shrubbery, but they were too bitter. Roasting the beans caused them to become too hard. Finally, he tried to soften the beans by boiling them. This resulted in a fragrant brown liquid. After drinking it, Omar was revived and survived for days. Stories of this “miracle drug” reached Mecca, and Omar was asked to return and was eventually made a saint. I’ll bet his mother was proud of him.
Joe. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the earliest recorded instance of coffee being called joe is in a 1941 book, Hash House Lingo. But despite this claim, it may be a 1920s or earlier term, because it’s the type of word that gets into the vocabulary where you don’t expect it, and then it rises to a level that people recognize it in print. It sort of sneaks up on you… like a strong cuppa joe.
The U.S. Navy has a language or a ‘slanguage’ all its own. For instance, coffee is ‘joe.’ They literally say it plain, which is the way most of them drink it. According to the Reader’s Digest, another naval theory traces cup of joe’s origin to Josephus Daniels, the Secretary of the Navy, who, in 1914, banned alcohol on military ships. As a result, sailors supposedly started calling a cup of coffee (the strongest drink available to them) a cup of Joe in protest. Again, who knows?
Coffee is an everyday beverage enjoyed by everyday Americans—average Joes, if you will. This leads to yet another possible explanation for the phrase cup of joe. Since Joe is used as a term for a familiar person, a guy, someone you know, a friend, and if you’re looking for a cup of joe, in a sense, you’re looking for a friend. Meh…maybe.
Some people believe coffee is called joe because it starts with the same letter as Java, an island in Indonesia famous for its coffee production. Seems a little too simplistic to me, but who knows?
The Britannica.com claims coffee is one of the three most popular beverages in the world (alongside water and tea) and is one of the most profitable international commodities. Coffee is the basis for an endless array of beverages, including espresso, cappuccinos, mochas, and lattes. Regardless of the type, its energizing effect, produced by caffeine, accounts for its popularity.
How much caffeine is too much? The Mayo Clinic says most adults can safely consume up to 400 mg of caffeine a day. Looking to get your max fix all at once? Twenty ounces of Starbuck’s Pike Place yields 410 mg of caffeine. The next closest is Dunkin’ coffee at 210 mg. Maybe you could nurse it all day and spread your fix over time.
Barista. If anyone should know about coffee, it would be a barista – right? But first, we should establish the creds of those claiming to be a barista. According to Wikipedia, a barista is usually a coffeehouse employee who prepares and serves espresso-based coffee drinks and other beverages. The origin is Italia,n where it means a “bartender” who typically works behind a counter, serving hot drinks (such as espresso), cold alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, and snacks. Sounds like a busy person, to me.
Locally. Here, in Garret County, this magic elixir must be even more important if the numerous coffee-offering venues are any indication. Think about it. I’m not talking about places like grocery stores where you can buy unbrewed coffee. You name the bodega, convenience store, or supermarket, and you’ll find cans and bags of the stuff.
You can get a brewed cup of coffee at almost every gas station, auto repair shop, hospital, dairy bar, attorney’s office, tax return office, and high school outdoor sports arena. I’ve even seen them in hearing aid shops, ski resorts, tire shops, and other places best left unnamed.
Coffee is, of course, available at every restaurant, truck stop, and diner in the county. There are too many to mention here, so let’s focus on places where coffee is the main reason for being in business, the café.
Trader’s Coffee House in Deep Creek has been open since 2021. It offers 14 different types of coffee available in 37 different flavors. Most popular are lattes, cold brew, and chai tea. The most popular menu item is their protein wrap, comprised of a whole wheat wrap with peanut butter, banana, house-made granola, and local honey. You can visit either by car or via a boat dock on the lake.
The Black Hawk Coffee Company has two locations. The original is in Oakland, and it opened in 2021. The second is in The Fort in McHenry. It opened in 2025 and has an expanded food menu. In either, you’ll find 30 flavors of coffee, including the biggest sellers: mocha, latte, and frozen latte. Black Hawk is planning to add a mobile coffee trailer sometime this summer, so you’ll be able to enjoy their products at any number of events across the county.
I found it interesting that no one in Garrett County offers Kopi Luwak, among the most expensive coffees in the world. Apparently, these are coffee beans that pass through the gastrointestinal tract of an animal, are partially digested, and are excreted. Enzymes change the flavor profile, creating unusual sweetness and smoothness. Or, so they say. If you find some and decide to try it, keep it to yourself.
Written by Tony Lolli.