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Caffeinated Beverages Think caffeine and what’s the first beverage to come to mind? Sure, coffee. Any history of coffee is also going to be a history of caffeine and vice versa. And tea will probably show up somewhere in there as well. Next on the list has got to be the soft drink. And then probably those energy drinks. And that should be it, right. After all, why would there possibly be any need for any other beverage to contain caffeine?

Coffee is the caffeinated beverage of choice for most people in the morning. It’s also the favorite go-to drink at business offices. Apparently, nothing gets the mojo moving better than coffee. Nothing provides better proof of coffee’s standing in the western world than the rise of Starbucks. Pretty soon they will officially be on every street corner in America. Watch out world: you’re next!

Although the history of a caffeinated beverage being used primarily for its stimulating effect goes all the way back to tea consumption in China almost three-thousand years before the birth of Christ, most Americans don’t generally think about tea in conjunction with caffeine. That has changed in recent years with the tea industry’s onslaught of information geared to those concerned about the health hazards of caffeine who don’t want to switch to carbonated soda. Even at this late stage, there are many who are confused as to how the caffeine level in tea compares to that of coffee. To set the record straight, tea does contain caffeine and generally speaking it contains less than coffee. However, the actual caffeine content of both coffee and tea varies according to, among other things, the types used and how they are prepared.

Caffeinated soft drinks first began appearing in the late 1800s, but didn’t really explode as a consumer product until the last half of the 20th century. The sheer number of caffeinated soft drinks is astounding and most people have become so used to caffeine content in their favorite soda that they have no problem tasting the difference when provided with a non-caffeinated version. Obviously, the popularity of the soft drinks that contain higher levels of caffeine was the inspiration for the energy drinks that have become so prevalent.

Of course, there may have been another inspiration behind the creation of these beverages as well. Because they aren’t technically considered a carbonated soda, energy drinks aren’t subject to the same FDA limit on caffeine content as soft drinks. Energy drinks are not even required to label their caffeine content, which in most cases far exceeds the FDA limit for soft drinks.

Energy drinks may be the most popular new method for consuming caffeine in a liquid form, but they are far from the only new kids on the block. Perhaps the most unexpected new combination of fluid and caffeine is the idea of jazzing up beer. Although the very idea of mixing the stimulant caffeine with the depressant alcohol has been enough to give rise to any number of easy jokes, is it really any more bewildering than adding the energy jolt of caffeine to the already existing sugar rush of soft drinks?

Probably the strangest caffeinated beverages on the market are the caffeine-infused spring waters. Think about it. There is really no other reason on earth to buy water other than that you are health-conscious. Let’s face it, nobody drinks water for the taste, right? And since caffeine has the potential to adversely affect one’s health if consumed in large amounts, who is drinking this product? Must be somebody because several are still are the market.

Darren Williger is an over-caffeinated, low carbohydrate eating, winemaking enthusiast who writes for caffeinezone.com, mylowcarbpages.com, and homemadewine.com Another gem from Darren A Brief Yet Enlightening History of Caffeine Those crazy party dudes of the social sciences, anthropologists, have discovered evidence as only they can that caffeine has been knowingly used as a stimulant since the Stone Age. This may not be exactly on the level, since apparently their primary source of information is an episode of The Flintstones.

Seriously, the official history of caffeine as a separate substance from coffee doesn’t really trace back very far into history, though, yes, anthropologists have suggested its effects were known to our ancient brethren. Our story really begins with, of all things, a poet. One of the most famous poets of all time, in fact, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, best known for her version of the Faust legend. It was Goethe who first gave a young chemist named Friedrich Ferdinand Runge some coffee beans, suggesting that he give the beans the same type of chemical analysis that Runge had been going with extract of belladonna. Don’t let anybody ever convince you that the entire history of the world isn’t built upon a foundation of intimate events. Runge took those not-so-magical beans and isolated caffeine sometime around 1819. And we’ve all been climbing that beanstalk ever since.

And, actually, even before then. Because even though the actual reason for coffee’s stimulating effects weren’t known, it was still quite obvious the effects were there. The Chinese took advantage of the caffeine found in tea at least as far back as 2700 BC and coffee first appeared in Africa in the 6th century AD. Of course, it’s well known that mighty civilizations in pre-Colombian South Africa drank both coffee and chocolate, well known for their caffeine content.

Because caffeine has obviously been around as long as man, it is exceedingly difficult to get a grip on its history. Many legendary stories abound as to its ancient uses, including one that awards a goat herder with discovering its stimulating effect by observing the behavior of his flock after they had chomped down on coffee beans. He supposedly tried the beans himself and was rewarded with a rush. The story probably isn’t true, however.

Yes, for most of the history of caffeine, it was inextricably tied to coffee and tea. They made perfect delivery systems for the drug. Unless, of course, you didn’t much care, or couldn’t afford, coffee or tea. Although the first espresso machine appeared almost in conjunction with Runge’s discovery, it wouldn’t be until the 1880s that a method for delivering caffeine into a beverage artificially was discovered.

Caffeinated soft drinks instantly became all the rage and even those who were happy enough receiving their stimulant via coffee picked up the occasional sugary drink. What made this a true turning point in the history of caffeine, however, is that for the first time children began ingesting it. In fact, large numbers of children started getting the rush of caffeine and the health risks associated with this is still being debated today as the soft drink industry continues to thrive.

By the 20th century, caffeine had pretty much become the most popular legal drug in the world. It is consumed in one way or another in every country. Although most of the history of caffeine could also be written as a history of coffee, its uses exploded in the latter half of the last century. Caffeine is found not only in coffee and tea, but soft drinks, alcohol, medicine and even water! It is surely no accident it has become omnipresent in a society that finds itself with an ever-increasing need for a longer day than the 24 hours we are stuck with.

Darren Williger is an over-caffeinated, low carbohydrate eating, winemaking enthusiast who writes for caffeinezone.com, mylowcarbpages.com, and homemadewine.com Back to Home Page