The Forgotten Flavor of 1942: How Soldiers Drank Coffee During WWII
Real talk: When America plunged into WWII, coffee wasn’t just a morning ritual—it was a war effort. By 1942, the U.S. military had commandeered coffee production to fuel troops, and the result? A bland, industrial brew that prioritized fuel over flavor. Brazilian beans dominated the supply chain, harvested in massive quantities to meet demand. Instant coffee, pioneered by Maxwell House and others, became the norm, but it wasn’t the creamy, aromatic stuff we know today. It was more like a thick, bitter sludge—something soldiers would have sipped from tin mugs while waiting at train depots to ship out. The problem?…


