In the last year, a political movement emerged which has become known as the Tea Party movement. A mostly conservative group, Tea Partiers hold events (known as, you guessed it, Tea Parties) around the nation to protest liberal leadership and agendas such as the stimulus bill and healthcare reform. TEA initially stood for Taxed Enough Already, but the idea of the “Tea Party” as a legitimate political movement has taken hold in American politics.

Politics aside, though, some of us just aren’t tea people. Now there’s a movement for the progressives in America (or just the politically apathetic coffee lovers) known as the “Coffee Party” which focuses on bipartisan partnership, socially conscious voting and accountability for our elected leaders. The Coffee Party was founded by a documentary film maker who was frustrated by the protests, shouting and “movements” that didn’t do anything but aggravate political differences and prejudices. The Coffee Party is designed to be about talking, ideally over a steaming cup of Joe.

The names of these two political factions testify to the sway of savory beverages in American life. What could be more patriotic than a Tea Party (think Boston! Revolutionaries with a mission and passion to back it up) or a cup of coffee at the local cafe to smooth over the political and ideological differences of rivals.

Kudos, to both conservatives and liberals, for adopting such delicious sounding movement names!

Over 1,000 years ago, an Ethiopian tribe began using coffee beans mixed with animal fat to make energy boosting snacks. Soon after, Arab traders began to export these small, red Ethiopian beans back to their homelands. The drink was soon boiled, creating a bitter beverage which it was said could “prevent sleepiness.”

By the 15th century, coffee began to be viewed as a necessity. Turkish law stated that a woman could divorce her husband for the sole reason that he did not provide her with enough coffee. A corrupt government official attempted to ban coffee in order to assert his power, and was later killed for the act. People all over the known world were becoming coffee crazy.

By the 1600′s, coffee reached Italy, where it became a smashing success. Over the next 50 years, coffee grew in popularity among Western nations, spreading to England, America and France.

Coffee became the unofficial drink of America in 1773, following the Boston Tea Party and the patriotic duty to avoid imported tea (the only kind available in the colonies at the time). One hundred years later, Maxwell House becomes the first available commercial blend of coffee.

At the turn of the last century, instant coffee became available and made coffee a drink for not only those sitting in coffee houses, but for those eating breakfast at home, working late at night or anywhere else hot water was available. When the prohibition went into effect in 1920, coffee sales hit a historic peak. It was a drink everyone could enjoy, even when most other enjoyable drinks were off the market.

In 1971, Starbucks opened their first store in Seattle. Coffee had become an American tradition. As technology changed and consumers were looking for a more richly blended alternative to instant coffee powders, single serving coffee emerged as a new innovation.

Today, single serving coffee, such as the Keurig K-Cup Brewer, is increasingly becoming the choice coffee brewing system for home and office. It makes freshly brewed coffee available with just the push of a button.