Ask anyone around and everyone will tell you that New York City is the coffee capital of America. It is no surprise that the city that never sleeps loves its coffee. For decades, the residents of New York City have purchased and consumed more coffee than any other state.
Continue reading on to learn a brief history of the area, how much the residents actually consume, and about some of the most famous coffee houses in the city.
Brief History of New York City
Giovanni da Verrazano, an Italian, found New York Harbor in 1524. Henry Hudson, an Englishman, took a boat on the Hudson River in 1609. The Dutch then established the first economic base in 1624. The island of Manhattan was purchased from Native Americans by the first governor, Peter Minuit, in 1626.
The Dutch established a small settlement on Manhattan Island’s southern point. It was known as New Amsterdam, and it thrived through selling skins. The skins of seal, beaver, otter, and mink were sold by the settlers.
Milling was the principal business in New York in the 18th century. Windmills ground the grain into flour. During this, New York merchants conducted business with both the United Kingdom and the West Indies. In the 18th century, New York also had a shipbuilding sector. In 1720, the first shipyard was established.
Coffee in Brooklyn
John Arbuckle, dubbed “the Coffee King,” pioneered how coffee was prepared and sold by roasting and grinding beans on-site, packing the coffee, and selling it across the United States. Arbuckle’s Brooklyn complex first opened its doors in 1871.
Because of the waterfront location, vessels transporting coffee beans from Brazil could dock beside the plant. Workers roasted, packed, and packaged coffee for train shipment to more than 400 Arbuckle distribution depots throughout the United States.
Arbuckle was roasting around 25 million pounds of coffee every month by 1906. He amassed a fortune by creating “Ariosa,” the first American brand of packaged coffee.
New York City becomes Coffee Capital
Arbuckle was not the only coffee roaster located on the Brooklyn waterfront, although being the largest. During the 1890s, New York harbor imported 86% of the country’s total coffee supply. By 1907, two-thirds of New York’s coffee was arriving at piers between Montague and Water Streets in what would become the Brooklyn Bridge Park. Packs of beans from Brazil, Venezuela, and Guatemala were stacked to the ceiling in warehouses below the piers on Furman Street.
Even though John Arbuckle died in 1912, his company, Arbuckle Brothers, continued to roast and store coffee in Brooklyn until the 1930s, when it was sold to General Foods. General Foods later closed the plant and relocated roasting to other facilities away from New York City.
New York City’s Coffee Revival
In the 21st century, it would be hard to argue that New York City was not one of the most influential cities when it comes to coffee importing, roasting, and selling. In a survey done by WalletHub in 2018, it was found that New York City has more coffee shops per capita than any other major United States city.
New York City took the top spot overall, beating even Seattle, the birthplace of Starbucks. The city ranked first in two major categories: the number of coffee shops, coffee houses, and cafés per population, and the number of “cheap” coffee businesses with high reviews.
Locally Owned New York City Coffee Brands
Being the United State’s number one coffee capital means that the city has some big shoes to fill. With New York City beating out states like Hawaii and their famous Kona Coffee, and Washington State which is home to big names like Peet’s and Starbucks, it is no surprise that a whole host of roasters call New York City home.
Continue reading on to learn more about a few local brands of New York City coffee.
Nobletree Coffee
Nobletree began with the conviction that the best coffee comes straight from the field to your table. Nobletree’s quality starts in the soil, harvested beans, and environmentally friendly farming practices. It all culminates in their expert roasting and grinding process.
The coffee roasters at Nobletree are dedicated to producing exceptional, small-batch coffee from their family-owned farms using this method.
Wandering Bear Coffee
The first coffee company to package their product in boxes, the Wandering Bear Coffee company has transported the New York City coffee scene straight into the future. These roasters produce only the finest organic coffee beans which they use to blend their one-of-a-kind cold brew.
With iced coffee drinks becoming increasingly popular over the last decade, the founders of Wandering Bear saw an untapped market and decided to give it their shot. Their bet has since paid off in spades.
Forto
Another Entrepreneur that saw an untapped, rising market and pounced on it is the coffee brewers over at Forto Coffee. Forto produces high-quality, high caffeine coffee shots for those that are on the go and don’t have time to stop and enjoy a regular cup of coffee.
What sets Forto’s coffee shots apart from their competition is their dedication to only using high-quality, nutritious ingredients. Forto prides itself on using natural products with no harmful additives to its coffee. You can find many different blends of Forto’s coffee shots, including organic lattes and espresso.
Rise Brewing Co.
If you are looking for an authentic New York City cold brew then look no further than to Rise Brewing Company. Nitro cold brew coffee comes in a few different formats like cans, kegs, bag-in-box, and flavors such as Original Black, Classic Latte, Oat Milk Latte, and Mocha Latte. All of their products are made using high-quality, organic ingredients.
All of Rise Brewing’s flavors are available in cans, and our Original Black is also available in keg style, which does fit into a kegerator or a tap line if you have one. The company’s best-selling Original Black is their award-winning flagship, followed by a line of lattes made with organic beans from Chanchamayo, Peru.
Hi, I’m Jen Williams, chief editor and writer for ThirstPerk.com.
I’ve been drinking coffee and tea for most of my life, but it wasn’t until I started working at Thirstperk.com that I became an expert on the subject. I’m a total caffeine addict who has spent hours upon hours reading about and experimenting with the different types of coffees out there in my search to find the perfect cup of joe.
I’ve been a tea lover for as long as I can remember as well. I grew up in a house with a mom who loved to drink herbal tea, and I think that’s where my love for tea first began. These days, I’m always on the lookout for new and interesting teas to try, and I love experimenting with different brewing methods and flavoring combinations.