"Coffee is the common man's gold, and like gold, it brings to every person the feeling of luxury and nobility." – Sheik Abd-al-Qadir

Think about the last cup of coffee you drank. Was it a gourmet coffee blend from Starbucks Coffee? Or maybe a pot you brewed at home such as Maxwell House? Now answer this question: Where did it originate from? Chances are the response will be a wild guess or an "I do not know".

According to the International Coffee Organization's Executive Director, the amount of coffee consumed worldwide through 2009 reached roughly 132 million bags. Nearly 21.5 million of those bags could be attributed to consumption in just the United States, which is more than any other single country. Of those avid coffee drinkers, most will admit knowing very little about the history and origin of the tantalizing beverage.

The exact beginnings remain unclear. Legends tell of an Ethiopian goat herder named Kaldi who, in c.850, noticed the energizing effects his flock experienced after eating the bright red berries from a local shrub. After experimenting with the berries himself, Kaldi bought the berries to a nearby Muslim holy man. However, the holy man disapproved of their use and thread them into a fire. Suddenly an enticing aroma began to fill the air. The roasted beans were then raked from the glowing embers, ground, and dissolved in hot water, creating the world's first cup of coffee.

Although this tale has emerged as an entertainment speculation, the earliest credible evidence of either knowledge of the coffee tree or coffee drinking coming from mid-fifteenth century southern Arabia in the Sufi monasteries around Mocha (or Mokha), Yemen. It was here that coffee beans were first roasted and brewed similar to how they are today. It is rumored that the Arab word 'qahwah', stemming from the verb 'gahiya', signifying "to have no hunger", was the first name given to what is known as 'coffee' in today's English language.

In 1587 Abd al-Qadir al-Jazirir, who may be considered one of the most important early coffee writers, compiled a work tracing the history and legal controversies of coffee. A translation of this work maps the spread of coffee from Yemen north to Mecca and Medina, then on to the larger cities of Cairo, Damascus, Baghdad, and Istanbul. Historians place the first established coffeehouse in Constantinople (today's Istanbul). There is some controversy regarding the exact time and location. Various legends tell of place known as 'Kiva Han' that was opened in the late fifteenth century. However, the Ottoman historian Ibrahim Pecevi reported that in 1555 "a fellow called Hakam from Aleppo and a wag called Shams from Damascus came to the city; they each opened a large shop in the district called Tahtakale, and began to purvey coffee."

The immense amount of trade between Venice and the Muslims in North Africa, Egypt and the East bought a variety of goods to Europe, including coffee. Coffee-drinking was introduced as something prestigious to wealthy Venetians which, in turn, allowed merchants to charge heavily. At this time controversial aose regarding whether or not it was acceptable to consume during Lent. Thankfully Pope Clement VIII settled the dispute in 1600, ruling that it was. Coffee's popularity in Europe continued to grow and then, in 1645, the first European coffeehouse was opened in Venice.

Shortly after the opening of this coffeehouse in Venice, the first English coffeehouse, Oxford's Queen's Lane Coffee House, was established. The business is still in existence to this day, attracting connoisseurs and enthusiasts from around the world. At this time coffeehouses were known as 'penny universities' because a penny was charged for admission and a cup of coffee. It was here that the concept of tipping was formed. Signs reading 'To Insure Promptitude' were placed by a tin. Those patrons desiring prompt service and better seating coins coins into the tin. And so, the word 'tip' was created.

Coffee continued to spread like wildfire through Europe. At the end of the seventeenth century the Dutch became the first to commercially transport and cultivate the plants. In fact, they were among the first to defy the Arab prohibition on the exportation of unroasted seeds or plants by smuggling seeds from the port of Mocha to the Dutch East Indies. The first attempt at cultivation in Java and Ceylon, Indonesia, was met with such success that the Dutch East India Company was able to supply the demand in Europe with 'Java coffee' by 1719.

About a year later seedlings found their way to Martinique in the Caribbean thanks to a French naval officer. Some fifty years later there were nearly 20,000 coffee trees on the island. In the meantime, coffee had made its way to Brazil by around 1727. A man named Francisco de Mello Palheta was sent to French Guinea by the Emperor of Brazil with strict instructions to obtain viable seeds. After some initial struggle and a few near-death experiences, Francisco succeeded in seducing the French Governor's wife who, in turn, secretly sent seeds and shoots to him in Brazil. This initiated the Brazilian coffee industry, although it did not begin to truly prosper until a century later.

Coffee continued to grow and spread through South and then Central America until it finally reached North America during the Colonial period. Although one would assume that as soon as it reached North America this delectable beverage would soon gather momentum, this was not the case. Interestingly enough, alcoholic beverages remained much more popular. However, when the Revolutionary War hit, the increased alertness that came from drinking coffee caused its demand to soar. When the British cut off access to tea imports during the War of 1812, Americans' taste for coffee grew. That paired with the amplified demand during the American Civil War and brewing technological advances, later followed by prohibition, sealed coffee's fate as an everyday commodity in the United States.

Today there are numerous blends, brands and brews that range from instant to premium or gourmet coffee . Some of the top-selling national brands are Maxwell House and Folgers Coffee while the premium names include Starbucks Coffee and Caribou Coffee. No matter the name, though, the historical journey holds true for all. So the next time you pour yourself a cup of gourmet coffee or order that caramel macchiato at the Starbucks drive-through, take a moment to appreciate those who made delicious beverages not only possible, but everyday necessities in many people's lives.