[I]t’s a narrative many of us can relate to: living in a city without fully understanding its history; working in an industry without realizing the extent of its roots. Until you commit to delving deeper into the backstory of a place or an industry, it’s difficult to discern what you don’t know.
Erin Meister (known by most coffee folks as just Meister), discovered that industry and place were inextricably linked while researching the history of coffee in New York City. A long-time New Yorker and coffee-industry veteran, Meister admits that she assumed there wasn’t much to uncover about New York’s contribution to the industry’s growth—but she quickly learned she was wrong.
New York City Coffee: A Caffeinated History examines the impact the coffee industry has had on New York, and the city’s contribution to the industry. The book explores four major aspects of coffee once it’s reached its country of consumption: green, roasted, café culture, and coffee drinking habits. Through interviews and profiles of luminaries past and present, trivia tidbits, anecdotes, and an abundance of photos, Meister takes readers on her journey of discovery, introducing people and places that have helped weave New York’s colorful tapestry, in turn shaping the coffee industry of present day.
New York City Coffee: A Caffeinated History is due July 31 through the History Press. Pre-orders are available through powells.com.
—Ellie Bradley is Fresh Cup‘s editor.
