Cowboys have been undoubtedly the most devoted group of coffee drinkers in the West – and there was not a Starbucks in sight. As a rule, they liked it strong, scalding hot, and barefooted (black). They declared weak coffee as dehorned belly wash or brown gargle. In many ranch kitchens, the cook did not remove the grounds from the pot after the coffee was brewed, but added new grounds to the old until the pot was too full to hold more.


A pot of coffee steaming over an open fire or on a bed of hot coals was a fixture on cattle drives. A three- to five- gallon pot, usually made of tinned iron and blackened by smoke, was standard for an outfit of 10-12 men. The smart chuckwagon cook did not skimp on coffee, because it was the wrangler’s mainstay, day in and day out. One cook’s testimony was that he used about 175 pounds of coffee beans each month.


The cowpunchers lived on coffee and drank hot java with every meal and between meals when they could get it. The men sometimes worked four-hour night shifts and needed coffee before and after their sprint of shifts. When the weather was bad and sleep was impossible, coffee kept them alert. They sometimes worked 60 hours straight – I guess that was before OSHA, human resources laws got in the way.


Before the Civil War, many settlers were forced to drink mock coffee made with rye, parched corn, bran, or okra seeds because good coffee was expensive and hard to find on the frontier. This changed in the 1860s, when new technology revolutionized the coffee industry.


During the first few years along the Cattle drives, roasted coffee beans were not readily available. The green coffee bean would require roasting before used, and the cook normally roasted up several days worth to have on hand. Green beans will last years if stored in a cool dry area. However, roasted


Coffee Trivia


The coffee plant, which was discovered in Eiopia in e 11 Century, has a white blossom at smells like jasmine and a red, cherry-like fruit. Back en, e leaves of e so-called “magical fruit” were boiled in water and e resulting concoction was ought to have medicinal properties.


Cowboy coffee is created by heating course grounds in a pot wi water and en pouring e coffee into a cup aer e grounds have seled.... is coffee has a long and storied history in America.


beans until canning did not stay fresh as long. Everyone who appreciates coffee knows the fresher the bean, the better the taste. In 1862, inexpensive, lightweight but durable paper bags became available and were used for packaging peanuts. In 1864, Jabez Burns, a temperance advocate who preferred coffee over whiskey, invented an efficient commercial coffee roaster. Burns’ roaster used a clever double- screw arrangement that constantly turned the beans, allowing them to roast evenly. (During the roasting process, green coffee beans are heated and then cooled, causing chemical changes that enhance the flavor.)


When we think of brewing coffee at home, the process we are accustomed to consists of grinding the beans, putting the grounds in the filter, pouring


in the water, and pressing the start button. Today more than ever it is easier to make coffee at home, but modern brew methods are very new in terms of coffee’s history.


is essentially the process of turning coffee beans into a beverage. While we are accustomed to our respective methods and preferences, there are varied methods one may use to create a great cup of coffee.


Cowboy coffee has a long history from cowboys on the trail, to campers in the wild, to friends around the kitchen table. While the traditional Cowboy Coffee is not the most common way to brew coffee, it is nonetheless a celebrated part of coffee’s history. If you have not already, give it a try sometime—you’ll be surprised by the results!


(cont’d) 2017 JULY i TEXAS LONGHORN JOURNAL 83


All coffee brewing


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