Famous Figures and Their Love (or Hate) for Coffee

Ever wondered why so many brilliant minds throughout history had such strong—sometimes bizarre—relationships with coffee? From composers writing operas about kicking the habit to generals starting their days with vinegar and espresso-like brews, the stories behind these figures and their coffee rituals reveal more than just personal taste. They show how deeply coffee has influenced art, war, politics, and thought across centuries.

In short: Some legendary figures adored coffee—Voltaire reportedly drank 50 cups a day, while Napoleon said it gave him “unusual strength.” Others, like a 16th-century Mecca judge, banned it entirely to prevent unrest. Whether they drank it, banned it, or wrote comedies about quitting it, coffee was never just a drink—it was a catalyst.

The Composers Who Loved (and Warned About) Coffee

German composer Johann Sebastian Bach not only enjoyed coffee himself but actively encouraged others to drink it. Yet, in an ironic twist, he penned a one-act comic opera titled The Coffee Cantata, in which a father tries to persuade his daughter to give up her beloved coffee habit. The work highlights both his appreciation for the beverage and the cultural tensions around it during his time.

Writers and Thinkers Powered by Coffee

French writer Honoré de Balzac was famously devoted to coffee, consuming vast amounts daily. He credited it with fueling his creativity, often working through the night after sleeping from 6 p.m. to midnight. Balzac would then write for 12 straight hours, drinking coffee nonstop. He described its effect vividly: “As soon as it touches my stomach, my whole body begins to heat up, and my mind takes up arms like a great army preparing for battle.”

British philosopher and politician James Mackintosh went further, claiming a person’s intelligence was directly proportional to how much coffee they drank. Meanwhile, German philosopher Immanuel Kant didn’t care much for coffee early in life, but developed a strong attachment to it in his later years.

Royal Coffee Rituals and Unusual Habits

French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte (1769–1821) cherished coffee, describing its effect as giving him both stimulation and a sense of warmth and unusual strength. Prussian King Frederick the Great (1712–1785), however, had an unusual practice: he took his coffee mixed with champagne instead of water.

Ulysses S. Grant, the American Civil War general, started his mornings with fresh vinegar and cucumber, followed by a large cup of strong coffee. French diplomat Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord (1754–1838) once described the ideal cup as “black as the devil, hot as hell, pure as an angel, sweet as love.”

Extreme Coffee Drinkers and Detractors

Voltaire, the French Enlightenment thinker (1694–1778), drank around 50 cups of coffee daily well into old age. When told it was a slow poison, he famously retorted that he had been drinking it for 65 years and was still alive—at the age of 84.

French thinker Bernard Le Bovier de Fontenelle (1657–1757) lived to be 100 and joked with a neighbor about outliving death itself. On the other side of the spectrum, some leaders tried to ban coffee altogether. In 1524, a Mecca religious judge shut down all coffeehouses to prevent public disorder. In 1570, Ottoman Sultan Murad III equated coffee drinking with alcohol and banned coffeehouses in Constantinople. Even in the 18th and 19th centuries, Swiss King Gustav III considered coffee a narcotic and issued repeated bans.

Coffee Cultivators Among the Elite

Not all famous coffee fans were just drinkers—some grew it themselves. French King Louis XV (1710–1774) was an avid coffee enthusiast who even cultivated his own coffee plants in the palace gardens. His gardeners produced about 6 pounds of beans each year, which he reserved for his personal use and brewing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did Voltaire really drink 50 cups of coffee a day?

Yes, according to historical accounts, Voltaire consumed around 50 cups of coffee daily throughout much of his life, including in his later years, and lived to be 84. When warned that coffee was a slow poison, he reportedly replied that he had been drinking it for 65 years without dying.

What did Napoleon say about coffee?

Napoleon Bonaparte described coffee as giving him “a certain amount of warmth and an extraordinary strength,” and said it made him feel stimulated. He was known to be a strong advocate of coffee’s energizing effects.

Why did Bach write a comic opera about coffee?

Johann Sebastian Bach wrote The Coffee Cantata, a one-act musical comedy, in which a father tries to convince his daughter to stop drinking coffee. Despite being a coffee lover himself, Bach used the piece to explore and gently satirize the social tensions around coffee consumption in his time.

Who mixed coffee with champagne?

Prussian King Frederick the Great (1712–1785) had the unusual habit of drinking coffee mixed with champagne instead of water, a distinctive preference among historical coffee drinkers.

Which historical figure associated intelligence with coffee consumption?

James Mackintosh, a British philosopher and political figure, claimed that a person’s intelligence was directly proportional to the amount of coffee they drank, reflecting the 18th-century fascination with coffee’s mental effects.

Did anyone successfully ban coffee historically?

Yes. In 1524, a Mecca judge banned coffeehouses to prevent unrest. In 1570, the Ottoman Sultan Murad III also banned coffee in Constantinople, equating it with alcohol. Later, Swiss King Gustav III tried to prohibit coffee in the 18th and 19th centuries, considering it a narcotic.

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