A Short History Of Coffee Prohibition

Coffee: the drink that gets us out of bed, keeps us going throughout the day and, apparently, makes us all raging threats to society.

Turns out, coffee hasn’t always been everyone’s cup of tea. Over the centuries, kings, sultans and religious bigwigs have all tried to ban it.

Accused of encouraging rebellion, corrupting morals and even threatening the beer industry, coffee has had its fair share of enemies. And some took their objections rather seriously.

From confiscated coffee pots to undercover coffee sniffers, this is the story of why you just can't keep a good brew down…

Grounds for concern

1511

Picture the scene… it’s early in the 16th century and coffee is becoming rather popular in Mecca. Coffeehouses are popping up across the city, bringing people together to drink, swap stories and discuss everything from local gossip to politics.

All perfectly innocent. Unless you're Khair Beg, the governor of Mecca, who isn't particularly keen on people gathering to question authority. He decides enough is enough. Coffee is put on trial, with religious scholars debating whether its stimulating effects make it an intoxicant - haram or forbidden, under Islamic law.

The verdict? Coffee is banned. Coffeehouses are shut down and supplies destroyed.

But word reaches Sultan Qansuh al-Ghuri in Cairo, who’s a bit of a coffee connoisseur himself and isn't convinced. He overturns the prohibition, allowing coffee drinking to resume.

One ban down. Quite a few to go.

The Empire Strikes Back

1633

By the early 1600s, coffee had Istanbul in a bit of a chokehold. Coffeehouses are everywhere, and they’ve become the go-to places to exchange news, debate politics and, just occasionally, criticise the people in charge.

Sound familiar? Enter Sultan Murad IV, a ruler with a rather short fuse and very little patience for anything that might encourage rebellion. In 1633, he orders coffeehouses closed and cracks down on coffee, tobacco and alcohol. And Murad isn't messing about.

Punishments are brutal, with accounts of executions for those caught breaking his rules. Legend even has it that the Sultan disguised himself to patrol Istanbul's streets, personally catching offenders.

But coffee goes underground, with people continuing to trade and drink it away from the authorities' watchful eyes. And, when Murad dies in 1640, restrictions ease and coffeehouses make their comeback.

Third time's not the charm

1756 - 1823

You'd think one failed coffee ban would be enough. But Sweden clearly didn't get the memo.

Between 1756 and 1823, the Swedish authorities banned coffee five separate times. Coffee was an expensive import, and the government wasn't thrilled about all that money leaving the country. The first ban came in 1756, with authorities confiscating coffee pots and supplies. A second followed in 1766, alongside hefty taxes and restrictions. But the Swedes weren't giving up their caffeine fix quite so easily.

Enter King Gustav III, who came to the throne in 1771 and was determined to prove coffee was dangerous. According to legend, he commuted the death sentences of two twins on the condition that one drank coffee every day and the other tea. Awkwardly, the tea drinker reportedly died first. Not quite the result the king had hoped for…

But still, the authorities persisted. Three more bans followed in 1794, 1799 and 1817, with coffee drinking continuing behind closed doors. Today, after 5 bans (and 0 lessons learned) Sweden is famous for fika, its beloved coffee-and-cake ritual.

The nose knows

1777 - 1786

Meanwhile, over in Prussia, Frederick the Great has rather different beef with coffee. People are drinking too much of it. And, more importantly, not enough beer.  In 1777, Frederick issues a proclamation encouraging his subjects to stick to beer, arguing that coffee is an expensive, foreign import and bad for the country’s economy.

But a strongly worded letter isn’t enough.

So, Frederick introduces a state monopoly on coffee roasting, restricting who can legally roast beans. Enter the coffee sniffers: government-appointed inspectors tasked with sniffing out the unmistakable aroma of contraband coffee.

Naturally, this doesn't stop the Prussians. Illegal roasting and smuggling are rife. So much so that, when Frederick dies in 1786, his successor takes a much more relaxed approach. By 1787, the roasting rules are abolished and the coffee-sniffers are out of a job.

Turns out, you can lead a nation to beer, but you can't make it drink

You can't keep a good brew down

Today

After centuries of bans, crackdowns and confiscated coffee pots, you’d think coffee’s reputation might have taken a hit.

Quite the opposite… 

Today, an estimated 2 billion cups of coffee are consumed worldwide every day, making it one of the planet’s most popular drinks.

And, somewhat ironically, modern research has found associations between moderate coffee consumption and a lower risk of certain conditions (including type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s and certain liver diseases). Not quite the health hazard King Gustav had in mind. 

And, not bad for something occasionally considered a threat to society.