1668 A little known factoid: Coffee overtakes beer
Post# of 63696
favorite breakfast beverage - and it goes much better with eggs.
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Over in London, public drunkenness is a problem and coffee houses replace taverns as the place of choice for meetings. Not wanting to see their profits shrink, tavern owners retaliate; they attack the Arabic origins of coffee claiming it was not suitable for well-mannered Christian men, whereas Monks' have brewed beer for centuries.
Proprietor Edward Lloyd opens a coffee house in London. Lloyd mingles with his customers and creates a list of their ships, the cargo they're carrying and the schedules they keep. Underwriters then use the list to sell insurance to those in need. Merchants track their ships and shipments. In time, Lloyd's of
In 1668 the first example of a monetary tip. London becomes the world's best-known insurance company.
Oh, and incidentally... around this same time, the custom of tipping is born in English coffeehouses. Customers place coins in a box labeled: "To Insure Prompt Service." T-I-P-S.