Why Do Americans Drink More Coffee Than Tea?

In the U.S. it seems like there is a coffee shop around every corner, coffee is available everywhere. This beverage is offered in every airport, restaurant, office, gas station and grocery store. So, how did Americans get more of a taste for coffee than tea? To find out, we have to go back to early American history.

In a previous blog post, we described the events that led to the Boston Tea Party. Tea was pronounced the drink of “traitors” by US president John Adams. In a letter from John Adams to his wife, he stated, “Tea must be universally renounced and I must be weaned, and the sooner the better.” After this, tea was unofficially boycotted, and Americans opted for a beverage that was readily available from Cuba and Colombia.

Many liked drinking coffee simply because it had a reputation of being “anti-British”. Some even described the act of drinking coffee in those times to be a symbol of the Revolution. It has since that time been a cultural mainstay here in the U.S.

So is one better than the other? We’ll save that discussion for another day, but for now I’m just happy that drinking tea is no longer considered un-American, because in my book, there isn’t a more delicious and healthy beverage than premium quality loose tea!

Some Additional Interesting Facts:

Top Ten Tea Drinking Countries

1. Turkey
2. Morocco
3. Ireland
4. Mauritania
5. United Kingdom
6. Seychelles
7. United Arab Emirates
8. Kuwait
9. Qatar
10. Kazakhstan

Out of all 155 reporting countries, The U.S. is 69th in overall tea consumption. Interestingly, Japan is 24th, and China 33rd.

Top Ten Coffee Drinking Countries

1. Finland
2. Norway
3. Iceland
4. Denmark
5. Netherlands
6. Sweden
7. Switzerland
8. Belgium
9. Canada
10. Bosnia and Herzegovina
The U.S. is 25th in overall coffee consumption per capita

Learn more about the caffeine in coffee versus tea