Bay Area Coffee: A Stimulating History

Discover the rich history of San Francisco's coffee culture from its roots in the nineteenth century to today's celebrated artisanal roasters.

San Francisco was booming in the mid-nineteenth century, and along with adventurers seeking their fortunes came sacks of green coffee beans. The old Yerba Buena Cove swiftly filled with ships, and the city emerged as the third-largest coffee port in the United States.

What followed was the rise—and local demise—of the "big three" coffee roaster...