Once Upon a Time - History of Coffee
"Once Upon a Time... in Coffee" is a magical, story-driven specialty coffee brand that blends folklore, flavor, and fantasy. Each roast is inspired by a mythical tale or enchanted land, taking drinkers on a journey through aroma and storytelling.
Signature Roasts:
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The Sleeping Forest (Ethiopian Light Roast)
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Notes: wild blueberry, jasmine, and honey
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Tale: Said to be grown in a hidden glade where time stands still. This floral, fruity roast stirs even the sleepiest dreamers awake.
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Witch’s Hearth (Sumatran Dark Roast)
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Notes: dark chocolate, smoked cedar, spice
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Tale: A powerful brew once used by forest witches to summon fire in the rain. Strong, mysterious, and deeply grounding.
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Knight’s Vigil (Colombian Medium Roast)
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Notes: toasted almond, caramel, red apple
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Tale: Roasted to sustain noble hearts through long watches, this balanced brew brings warmth and courage.
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Moonspell Decaf (Swiss Water Processed)
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Notes: vanilla, plum, soft cocoa
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Tale: Brewed under a crescent moon, this decaf was once believed to grant sweet dreams and silent thoughts.
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The Experience:
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Each bag is designed like a storybook, with hand-drawn illustrations and a mini fairy tale on the back.
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Inside the bag: a scroll-style insert tells the roast’s origin story and suggested brewing ritual.
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Eco-conscious packaging made from recycled materials with compostable lining.
Sample Back-of-Bag Story: The Sleeping Forest
“Beyond the fog-veiled mountains, where dreams grow on trees and birds sing backwards, lies the Sleeping Forest. Here, only one thing stirs: a tiny sprout of coffee, kissed by moonlight and mist. Brew with care. Sip slowly. And let the forest wake you.”
The History of Coffee: From Goat Herds to Global Ritual
Origins: Ethiopia, 9th Century (or earlier)
Legend has it that a goat herder named Kaldi, in the Ethiopian highlands, noticed his goats became energetic after eating red berries from a certain shrub. Curious, he tried them himself — and felt an extraordinary jolt of alertness.
Local monks, hearing of this, began brewing the berries into a drink to help them stay awake during prayers. Thus, coffee’s energizing effect was discovered.
The plant: Coffea arabica, still the most popular species today.
15th Century: Yemen and the Birth of Brewing
By the 1400s, coffee had made its way across the Red Sea to Yemen, where Sufi mystics used it during nighttime meditation rituals. They brewed it into a hot, dark liquid called qahwa, meaning “to prevent sleep.”
Yemen became the first hub of coffee cultivation, and the port city Mocha became synonymous with the bean.
16th–17th Century: Coffeehouses Bloom in the Islamic World
Coffee spread to Mecca, Cairo, Istanbul, and Damascus, giving rise to public coffeehouses known as qahveh khaneh. These places weren’t just for drinking — they were hubs for music, chess, poetry, and political discussion.
Some authorities tried to ban it, fearing it fueled dissent — but it was unstoppable.
17th Century: Coffee Conquers Europe
By the 1600s, coffee arrived in Venice through trade with the Ottoman Empire. At first controversial, it was dubbed the “bitter invention of Satan” — until Pope Clement VIII tasted it and declared it delicious.
Coffeehouses rapidly spread through England, France, Austria, and Germany, becoming known as “penny universities” — you could buy a cup for a penny and engage in intellectual debate.
18th–19th Century: Global Cultivation & Colonialism
European powers began cultivating coffee in their colonies:
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The Dutch in Java (Indonesia)
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The French in the Caribbean
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The Portuguese in Brazil
By the 1800s, Brazil had become the largest coffee producer — a title it still holds today.
20th–21st Century: Industrialization to Third Wave
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Instant coffee was invented in 1901.
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Chains like Starbucks (founded in 1971) brought espresso and café culture to the masses.
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The Third Wave Coffee Movement (starting ~2000s) emphasized artisanal brewing, direct trade, and single-origin beans.
Today, coffee is a $100+ billion industry enjoyed by billions — from Italian espresso bars to Ethiopian coffee ceremonies, it’s a symbol of connection, productivity, and ritual.
Fun Facts:
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Coffee is the second most traded commodity in the world after oil.
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There are two main species: Arabica (smoother, higher quality) and Robusta (stronger, more bitter, higher in caffeine).
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The word “coffee” comes from qahwa (Arabic), which passed through Turkish (kahve) and Dutch (koffie) before becoming “coffee.”