Loving coffee is a lifestyle, an industry, and even for some, a personality trait. Coffee has been a staple for so many for a very long time, as its flavorful and delicious aroma and taste offers a sense of comfort to so many.
Many coffee lovers can talk about coffee for hours, leading to a slew of nicknames for coffee being used all around the world. Some of these nicknames for coffee will be ones you’ve heard, but some might surprise or confuse you.
Java
Java is actually the name of an island in Indonesia that was one of the most prominent islands to export coffee beans. Therefore, java used to be the name used to describe coffee brewed from beans from Java. After a while, it became a generic term to describe any cup of coffee.
Java Lava
Java lava piggybacks off of the term java, but specifically refers to a boiling hot cup of coffee. With lava being a hot liquid that can cause serious burns upon contact, the analogy is quite fitting.
Cup O’ Joe
Cup of joe, or cup o’ joe, might be one of the most well-known terms used to describe a cup of coffee. The name Joe might seem random, but a theory suggests the origin can be traced back to a man named Josephus Daniels.
Josephus Daniels was the name of a US Navy secretary who didn’t want anyone drinking any alcohol on his vessel. The only thing that soldiers could drink on the ship was coffee. They started calling their cups of coffee cup of joe as a way to make fun of the secretary, and the term stuck.
Others speculate that cup of joe is referred to with the name “Joe” as Joe is a very common name. With coffee being a regular drink for everyone to enjoy, from the average joe to the working folks, the term makes sense.
Jamocha
Jamocha is the combination of java and mocha. Just like java, mocha was actually the name of a region in Yemen that was famous for exporting coffee beans. It too became a generic term for coffee, and somewhere along the line, got combined with java.
Morning Brew
Morning brew makes sense as a term for coffee, since most of us brew a pot of coffee in the morning to symbolize the start of our day. Thus, the coffee in our mugs would be our morning brew.
Morning Fix
Technically, caffeine is a drug. Therefore, that standard cup of coffee you have to drink every morning before starting the day is like enjoying a morning fix. It is meant to be a lighthearted term and not one dismissing the seriousness of addiction.
Nectar Of The Gods
People who really love coffee will often refer to it as something more hyperbolic, such as nectar of the gods or liquid gold. This is due to how delicious a really well-made cup of coffee brewed from quality beans can taste, and how great it feels to take that first sip of yummy coffee.
Cuppa
Cuppa is technically a British term used to reference a cup of tea. However, coffee lovers took it and now also use it to describe a cup of coffee.
Bean Juice
Unless you ground up coffee beans yourself, you might forget that coffee comes from a bean that is harvested from a tree. When you brew that coffee into liquid form, it’s technically juice made from a bean.
Rocket Fuel
Some people refer to coffee as something like rocket fuel due to how its caffeine content can supercharge energy levels, or make it feel as though you are ready to burst. This might be especially true if you are sensitive to caffeine.
Mud/Dirt
This nickname for coffee could have two meanings. One could be that it is used to describe a bad cup of coffee, or one that has been burnt or is full of remnants. It could also be more of an on-the-nose term for the way coffee looks, being a dark brown moist substance.
Worm Dirt
Worm dirt is in reference to really dark, strong tasting coffee. It is also sometimes used for slang for simple black coffee.
High Octane
High octane can be used to describe strong, powerful coffee. This might be coffee that has a lot of sugar in it, or it might be coffee brewed i a way that its caffeine content is boosted.
Liquid Energy
Coffee drinkers often don’t feel as if they can function without their cup of coffee in the morning. Whether the effects of their morning cup are psychological or physiological, the energy it brings to the beginning of the day is palpable.
Some might refer to coffee as wakey juice, brain juice, or go juice for the same reason.
Lifeblood
Much like liquid energy, coffee can feel like lifeblood coursing through your veins that wakes you up and gets you ready for the day.
Jitter Juice
A lot of caffeine can cause symptoms such as jitters, so drinking it in moderation is best. However, coffee can be referred to as jitter juice even if you don’t overindulge.
Battery Acid
While this doesn’t sound very appetizing, coffee can be called battery acid due to how strong, and sometimes bitter, it can taste. Typically, if it tastes bitter, it’s because it was burnt. However, some people find darker roasts of coffee very bitter and displeasing, like what it would be like to drink battery acid.
Timmies/Starbs
Timmies is the general term for a coffee drink that comes from Tim Hortons, a very popular coffee chain throughout Canada. Starbs is a shortened version of Starbucks, which is known around the world for their coffee.
Daily Grind
Daily grind makes sense for those who drink coffee every day. For starters, those who drink coffee tend to do so every day. Then, since coffee beans are ground up in order to make coffee, it’s a daily grind you consume before you go to your daily grind, or your job.
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.