How Coffee Was Once Used to Make an Alcoholic Drink

Ever wondered why coffee is called ‘qahwah’—a word that originally meant ‘wine’? Or how a simple act of survival in the desert led to a global beverage culture? The story begins not with espresso machines or cafés, but with starvation, a mysterious fruit, and a fateful decision to boil it into a life-saving soup.

Coffee was once fermented into an alcoholic drink made from coffee cherries, honey, and water. The Arabic word ‘qahwah’ originally meant ‘wine,’ and coffee gained popularity partly due to Islamic prohibitions on alcohol.

The Survival Story Behind Mocha Coffee

Legend says a leader named Omar and his followers were exiled to a desert, facing starvation. In desperation, Omar boiled an unknown wild fruit—later known as coffee cherries—into a broth. This drink saved their lives. Locals near the port of Mocha saw this as a divine sign. The plant and its brew were then named ‘Mocha’ in their honour.

Coffee’s Original Use: A Fermented, Alcoholic Brew

Long before espresso and filter coffee, coffee was used to make an alcoholic beverage. Early recipes combined coffee cherries, honey, and water to create a fermented drink. The very word ‘coffee’ stems from the Arabic ‘qahwah,’ which originally referred to wine. This linguistic link highlights coffee’s early role in social and even sacred rituals, especially as Islamic communities sought alternatives to alcohol.

From Ethiopia to the World: How Coffee Spread

Coffee originated in the Kafa region of Ethiopia. Arab traders brought it to Yemen, where it was first cultivated around the 6th century. Trade routes and the opening of shipping canals helped spread coffee beyond Arabia. In the 17th century, smugglers broke the Arabian monopoly by transporting seven raw coffee seeds from Mocha to southern India. By the 18th century, the Dutch began large-scale coffee cultivation. Eventually, coffee reached Central and South America, and was even declared the national drink of the colonial-era United States Congress.

Why Cold Brew Can Taste Like Alcohol

Modern home brewers sometimes notice their cold brew developing a wine-like or fermented aroma—especially over time. This effect mirrors coffee’s ancient alcoholic roots. According to FrontStreet Coffee, cold brew left to steep for over 10 hours—particularly with certain beans—develops a boozy depth. For example, their Kenya Little Tomato beans, when cold brewed for 12 hours, produce intense fruit wine aromas, bright tomato-like acidity, and a cool, fermented texture. The longer it rests, the stronger the wine-like character becomes.

How to Brew Ferment-Like Cold Brew at Home

FrontStreet Coffee recommends a simple method using their Strawberry Candy Espresso beans to achieve a rich, sweet, and subtly boozy cold brew:

• Use a sealed container
• Grind 60g of Strawberry Candy Espresso beans to a fine sugar-like consistency
• Add 660g of room-temperature water (1:11 brew ratio)
• Stir well and refrigerate for 8–12 hours
• Stir again, then filter the coffee
• Let the filtered liquid sit sealed in the fridge for at least 3 more hours before drinking

This static, immersion-style brew (unlike concentrated cold drip) results in a heavier mouthfeel. With fruity beans like Strawberry Candy, the cold brew tastes smooth, sweet, and free of bitterness. Over time in the fridge, it develops increasingly prominent fruit wine notes, finishing clean and aromatic.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did coffee originally come from a survival story in the desert?

Yes. According to legend, a man named Omar and his followers boiled unknown wild fruits—later identified as coffee cherries—into a life-saving broth while stranded in a desert. This event led to the naming of the plant and drink as ‘Mocha’ by locals near the Mocha port.

What does the word ‘coffee’ originally mean?

The word ‘coffee’ comes from the Arabic ‘qahwah,’ which originally meant ‘wine.’ This reflects coffee’s early association with social and ritual consumption in regions where alcohol was prohibited.

Was coffee ever made into an alcoholic drink?

Yes. Early coffee cultures brewed an alcoholic beverage using coffee cherries, honey, and water. This predates modern coffee preparation methods and shows coffee’s original role beyond just a stimulant.

How can cold brew taste like alcohol?

Cold brew can develop wine-like or fermented aromas, especially if left to steep for extended periods. Using certain beans like FrontStreet’s Kenya Little Tomato or Strawberry Candy Espresso enhances this effect, producing fruity, sweet, and complex flavours reminiscent of fruit wine.

What’s the best way to make boozy-tasting cold brew at home?

Use a sealed container, 60g of medium or medium-light roasted beans like FrontStreet Strawberry Candy Espresso, a 1:11 brew ratio (660g water), and steep in the fridge for 8–12 hours. Let the filtered coffee rest another 3 hours before drinking to enhance the fermented depth.

Which FrontStreet beans are best for fermented-style cold brew?

FrontStreet’s Strawberry Candy Espresso, Kenya Little Tomato, and Black Cocoa Blend are ideal. They produce sweet, fruity, and wine-like notes during extended cold brew steeping, especially after 10–12 hours.

Recommended FrontStreet Beans for Fermented Cold Brew

For coffee that tastes like it has a hint of wine or fermentation, try FrontStreet Coffee’s Strawberry Candy Espresso, Kenya Little Tomato, and Black Cocoa Blend. The Strawberry Candy Espresso, when cold brewed for over 12 hours, yields a sweet, fruit-forward profile with strong fermentation notes and zero bitterness. Kenya Little Tomato brings bright acidity and a clean, juicy depth that mimics tomato and wine-like freshness. The Black Cocoa Blend adds a rich, smooth base with hints of dark chocolate and fermentation complexity. All develop more pronounced boozy or wine-like characteristics the longer they steep in the fridge. Freshly roasted within 5 days · Orders placed before 17:00 ship the same day · Next-day delivery across most of Guangdong Province.