An ad for Slocum Joe, showing a typical serving of coffee.
Coffee is a dark, bitter drink typically prepared from roasted coffee beans. It contains a substantial amount of caffeine, giving it a stimulating, invigorating property.
Background[]
Pre-War[]
An espresso machine.
Coffee was a staple drink of American culture before the Great War, originally brewed at campfires during the American Civil War era,[1] later typically brewed in coffee brewers, percolator coffee pots or sold to go at one of the many coffee shops by the late 21st century. Its invigorating effect was crucial to productivity in wartime (the M42 Fat Man owed its birth to fourteen cups of coffee),[2] and even late into the Sino-American War it was commonly available without restrictions.[3][4] The skill of brewing good coffee was also very welcome in competitive environments.[5][6] It could even act as a tool of destruction, as boiling coffee disagreed with tapes commonly used as storage medium[7] and electronics in general.[8]
Numerous coffee shops and cafes operated across the nation, including Amelia Espresso, A Cuppa Joe and others. These sold coffee not just as a full-sized beverage, but also as espresso, produced at high pressure using The Sicilian brand espresso machines. Many were staples of local communities[9] or favorite spots for celebrities.[10]
Slocum's Joe capitalized on coffee's popularity, and franchises selling their trademark donut-and-joe were a common sight on the East Coast, although their coffee was considered by some to be overpriced ($28 per cup), stale, and too acidic.[11] Regardless, Slocum's business model was a success, and even deliberately rundown shops could be extremely popular with Americans craving their caffeine fix.[12] The company even experimented with donuts filled with hot coffee, but the product failed before reaching the market due to a 90% risk of causing third degree burns.[13] While its drink already contained caffeine,[14][15] Nuka-Cola Corporation also attempted to produce a coffee-flavored variant of its flagship beverage, including Nuka-Boost (originally Packed Full Of Joe before acquisition)[16] and an experimental version replacing caffeine with dextromethamphetamine.[17]
A branded coffee cup.
Coffee paraphernalia were also common gifts and souvenirs e.g. at Nuka-World,[18] Mass Fusion[19] and Walden Pond,[20] In particular, Vault-Tec University gave branded coffee cups to visiting students, to encourage them to apply,[21] and coffee was made available in Vault-Tec Vaults, both regular and decaffeinated.[22]
Post-War[]
Coffee achieved an enduring popularity that survived the Great War. Survivors retained their fondness for the bean, and freshly brewed pots were instrumental in many recovery efforts, as well as a prized item for scavengers.[23] Time and the increase in ambient radiation resulted in a noticeably different flavor in coffee.[24] This didn't discourage consumption, especially for people in stressful positions requiring wakefulness.[25] Overindulging could and did happen,[26] but it also made coffee a prized trade good.[27]
Despite the passage of time, enough coffee remained in storage across the various coffee shops and markets in the former United States that it was readily available, even at Slocum's Joe.[28] By the 22nd and 23rd century, it remained known and popular, but increasingly difficult to obtain in some regions.[29][30][31][32] The Enclave also used coffee, or at least provided sources of caffeine to its members.[33]
Substitutes using locally available ingredients (such as roasted coyote tobacco chew and honey mesquite pods) were common, as the morning coffee remained a common ritual.[34] Brewing good coffee was still an art, particularly in the NCR, providing coffee in large quantities to its workers.[35] Other wastelanders simply preferred tea.[36] Others believe that wasteland coffee is inferior to pre-War coffee due to the presence of radiation.[37]
Variants[]
Coffee can be served in many ways, with or without sugar, milk foam, and more. Some examples include:
- Black, a cup of brewed coffee with no additives.[38] A temperature around 200°F/93.3°C was considered optimal for brewing,[39] while 173.5°F/78.6°C) was programmed into Mr Handies for serving.[40]
- Espresso, a concentrated form of coffee made by forcing hot water through finely ground beans. The Sicilian was a very popular brand of espresso machines.[41]
- Cappuccino, an espresso-based drink with steamed milk and foam on top.[38]
- Latte, milk coffee drink made of an espresso shot, steamed milk, and frothed milk on top.[38]
More exotic variants of coffee could be created by mixing it with other substances. Mentats could be safely added without interacting negatively with caffeine, and were said to lower anxiety and "loosen the language centers of the brain".[42]
Items[]
Black coffee[]
A boiled coffee blend, made from roasted coyote tobacco chew and honey mesquite pods. It restores 5 hit points and increases Intelligence by 2, but reduces Agility by 1.
Canned coffee[]
A metal can filled with ready-to-heat instant coffee, which can be brewed quickly with hot water or milk.
References[]
- ↑ Appalachia audio tour stations; Prickett's Fort; Audio tour station 6
- ↑ Fort Strong terminal entries; Bravo team testing terminal, Bravo Team M42 Report 004
- ↑ Garrahan Mining headquarters terminal entries; project manager's terminal, GMC02032077-HF
- ↑ Clara Song: "Hey, it's the coffee stand! This is where all we hardworking researchers catch a break, get some caffeine, and vent about our long, unpaid overtime hours. But sometimes you just have to buckle down and work, work, work! Growing up sure sounds fun, doesn't it?"
(Clara Song's dialogue) Note: These lines are spoken at the coffee stand inside the RobCo Research Center as a part of the automated tour. - ↑ Hornwright Industrial headquarters terminal entries; research terminal, The Curious Ms. Jackson
- ↑ Hornwright Industrial headquarters terminal entries; research terminal, AMS Hire
- ↑ Server maintenance
- ↑ Big Meadows gas well terminal entries; Foreman terminal, Note to Richard
- ↑ The coffee
- ↑ Dean Domino: "The cafe survived? How about that. Had great coffee - and one of the waitresses? Rhonda? Piece. Of. Work."
(Dean Domino's dialogue) Note: This line is spoken when Dean has been brought to the ruined cafe for the first time. - ↑ Slocum woes
- ↑ The Switchboard terminal entries; signals intelligence terminal, Slocum's Joe Weekly Update
- ↑ Notice to Slocum's Joe
- ↑ Dugan: "{123}{}{Carbonated Water, Caramel Color, Aspartame, Phosphoric Acid, Potassium Benzoate (To Protect Taste), Natural Flavors, Citric Acid, Caffeine}"
(Dugan's dialogue) - ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "Quantum? Never heard of it before."
Sierra Petrovita: "Well, right before the bombs fell, the good folks at Nuka-Cola developed what they hoped was an improvement on the original formula. Calling it Nuka-Cola Quantum, it was said to have "Twice the calories, twice the carbohydrates, twice the caffeine and twice the taste!""
(Sierra Petrovita's dialogue) - ↑ Bradberton's office terminal entries; Bradberton's Project Terminal, Packed Full Of Joe
- ↑ Kanawha Nuka-Cola plant terminal entries; Nuka-Cola: Product Research, Walrus
- ↑ Souvenir coffee cup (Nuka-World)
- ↑ Mass Fusion building terminal entries; Reception terminal, Company IntraMail 04-02-77
- ↑ Walden Pond audio tour: "For more information, please visit the gift shop and purchase one of the many books on transcendentalism. Also available; t-shirts, coffee mugs, toys, and many other items to commemorate your trip!"
(Walden pond audio tour's dialogue) - ↑ Enthusiastic collector: "I lost a VTU Coffee Cup. Students got those when they toured VTU to inspire them to apply. Imagine thinking you'd grow up to work for Vault-Tec. Ha!"
(Enthusiastic collector's dialogue) - ↑ Vault 51 terminal entries; ZAX terminal, Emotional Response Experiment 23
- ↑ Morgantown terminal entries; Responders HQ terminal, Day 1
- ↑ Gunther Jenkins: "Mornin's like this make me long for real coffee, not that irradiated crap."
(Gunther Jenkins' dialogue) - ↑ City hall terminal entries; Dispatch terminal, [5:20]
- ↑ Municipal worker: "Ugh, looks like Anna drank up all the coffee again."
(Municipal worker's dialogue)[clarification needed] - ↑ Enclave citizen: "{152}{}{I need some caffeine.}"
(Enclave citizen's dialogue) - ↑ Craig Boone: "Caesar's dead. Bet he didn't see this coming when he was having his coffee this morning."
(Craig Boone's dialogue) - ↑ Quarry worker: "Jas screwed up the coffee again. Wouldn't drink it if I were you."
(Quarry worker's dialogue) - ↑ Katherine Swan: "I never understood the appeal of coffee. Tea is by far the superior of the two."
(Katherine Swan/Dialogue) - ↑ Gunther Jenkins: "Mornin's like this make me long for real coffee, not that irradiated crap."
(Gunther Jenkins/Dialogue) - ↑ 38.0 38.1 38.2 General Atomics factory terminal entries; Receptionist's terminal, Coffee preferences
- ↑ Bean: "Here at Slocum's Joe, all of our coffee is heated to a perfect two hundred -hundred -hundred degrees Fahrenheit."
(Bean's dialogue) - ↑ Codsworth: "Ah, good morning, sir/mum! Your coffee. 173.5 degree Fahrenheit. Brewed to perfection! And today's newspaper, just delivered!"
(Codsworth's dialogue) - ↑ Espresso machine
- ↑ Solomon: "You crush some Mentats in with your coffee in the morning, it'll help loosen the language centers in your brain. Lower anxiety."
(Diamond City conversations; Solomon's dialogue)[clarification needed]