As difficult as it might be to believe, coffee has been banned historically multiple times across the world.
When you read the reasons, you’ll notice that there’s a common thread in all these accounts.
Coffee wasn’t banned for health-related concerns but because of its power to bring people together and to encourage conversation.
Keep reading to know where in the world coffee was banned and why.
Mecca, Saudi Arabia
A city located in the western region of Saudi Arabia, Mecca is known to be a holy place. Back in 1511, a governor in Mecca clamped down on coffee consumption and gatherings at coffeehouses because it seemed to contribute to political debate and radical thinking.
Moreover, coffee as a whole was met with scorn, as some scholars felt that it had intoxicating effects similar to wine, which went against their conservative beliefs. As a result, coffeehouses were shut down, and coffee stock was destroyed.
This ban was met with public backlash. Eventually, the Sultan of Egypt revoked the ban and coffee culture continued to thrive.
Constantinople, Ottoman Empire
The story of coffee being banned in the Ottoman Empire isn’t all that different from what transpired in Mecca.
During a time when coffeehouses were common in the empire, the ruler Sultan Murad IV feared the consequences of allowing people to freely exchange news in a manner that was beyond the control of the authorities. They also suspected that coffeehouses would bring together people who wanted to challenge the government.
So in the 17th century, the ruler ordered coffeehouses to be shut down to control the spread of rumours and people criticising officials.
Although the penalties for opposing the restrictions were severe, the ban wasn’t enforced properly. Before long, coffee was consumed and distributed widely, with coffeehouses once again becoming a part of the social culture in the Ottoman region.
England
The coffee ban in England was short-lived, and lasted only 11 days, much to the joy of resident coffee lovers.
During the late 1600s, King Charles II implemented a crackdown on the sale of coffee, chocolate and tea in coffeehouses, ordered coffeehouses to be closed, and also prohibited brewing coffee at home.
This was largely an attempt to suppress political conversations and the spread of false information about the Crown.
The ban was reversed quickly for multiple reasons. Firstly, there was little support from the parliament as ministers who enjoyed frequenting coffeehouses didn’t throw their weight behind King Charles’ decision. Moreover, there was severe public backlash.
Once the ban was lifted, coffeehouses reemerged as the hotspot for intellectual discussions and business associations, which ultimately lent Oxford coffeehouses the nickname of “penny universities”.
Sweden
In Sweden, coffee is imported and, as a result, was considered to be a luxury. The authorities banned coffee to limit spending on foreign goods and dependence on trade.
This was more of a continuous challenge for the Swedes, as it happened several times over the course of decades, with the first ban being introduced in 1756.
No matter the restrictions, people found their way around it and continued to consume coffee. When coffee began to be smuggled in, the authorities realised the ban was going to be futile as it would not have the intended effect on the country’s economy.
The ban was lifted in the late 1700s and coffee imports became subject to customs duties.
Prussia
Imagine launching a campaign to persuade locals about reducing coffee consumption. As a coffee lover, you can guess just how effective that would be.
Frederick the Great, ruler of Prussia, learnt it the hard way. He too felt that the cost of importing coffee was far too much, and tried to convince his subjects of the same in 1777. His argument was that beer was a much more preferable drink, and that people should follow their ancestors in embracing beer over coffee.
When the campaign fell on deaf ears and demand for coffee continued, he resorted to implementing a monopoly on roasting coffee locally.
Only authorised individuals could roast coffee with the ruler’s permission. Fun fact - back then, the government went to the extent of employing official “coffee sniffers” who would trace the aroma of coffee and try to detect any unauthorised coffee roasting by citizens.
The control on coffee ultimately went away after King Frederick’s reign, and from 1781, people in Prussia could more freely access and roast coffee.
History shows us that coffee bans weren’t about the drink itself but its influence on religious beliefs, political and economic concerns.
Perhaps, coffee’s most enduring trait is its role in the public sphere.