咖啡馆的前世今生

Today， the idea of a coffee house usually brings to mind a cozy1） place that serves gourmet coffee2） and espresso3） drinks， with couches to lounge4） in while you sip5）. So how did the coffee house get its start？

Now， I'm looking back through time to see where the coffee house started， and how much it's changed （or hasn't changed？）

The first record of a public place serving coffee dates back to 1475. Kiva Han was the name of the first coffee shop， located in the Turkish city of Constantinople （now Istanbul）.

Coffee was such an important item during that time period that it was legal in Turkey for a woman to divorce her husband if he could not supply her with enough coffee. Turkish coffee was served strong， black and unfiltered6）， usually brewed in an ibrik7）.

The idea of adding cream and sweeteners to one's coffee came into fashion in Europe around 1529， when the first coffee house in Europe was established. Vienna was invaded by the Turkish army， who left many bags of coffee behind when they fled the city. Franz Georg Kolschitzky8） claimed the coffee as the spoils9） of war and opened a coffee house. Apparently， he had lived in Turkey and was the only person who recognized the value in the beans. He introduced the idea of filtering coffee， as well as softening the brew with milk and sugar. The beverage10） was quite a hit， and when coffee houses also started serving sweet pastries11） and other sweets， their popularity exploded.

Coffee establishments12） continued to spread， with the first one opening up in London in 1652. Though its popularity was growing in Europe， the idea arrived in England again from Turkey. An English merchant who dealt in Turkish goods （such as coffee） had two of his servants leave him， to go into business for themselves. "The Turk's Head" coffee house13） was born. It was in an English coffee house that the word "tips" was first used for gratuities14）. A jar with a sign reading， "To Insure Prompt15） Service" sat on the counter. You put a coin in the jar to be served quickly.

The British called their coffee houses "penny universities" because that was the price for the coffee and the social upper-class of businessmen were found there. In fact， a small coffee shop run by Edward Lloyd16） in 1668 was such a business center， which eventually became the still-operating Lloyd's of London insurance company.

From there， the idea spread further through Europe. Italy in 1654 and then Paris in 1672. Germany embraced the coffee house for the first time in 1673.

When America was colonized， the coffee house was quick to follow. The role of the American coffee house was the same as those in England： the hotspots for the business community. The Tontine Coffee House （1792） in New York was the original location for the New York Stock Exchange because so much business was conducted there.

Until now， coffee houses were serving regular coffee. Then came espresso. In 1946， Gaggia17） invented the commercial piston18） espresso machine， which was far easier to use and safer than earlier models.

The Gaggia coffee bar， in Italy， was the first location to use these machines and to offer espresso along with the regular coffee. The modern age of coffee houses was born.

Of course， the age-old coffee house should not be confused with the coffee shop of recent decades. Coffee shops are really restaurants that serve a typical menu of diner19） food， along with basic coffee. Tim Hortons20） is a good example of a popular coffee shop that has somewhat transcended the basic "diner" and though they serve a wide menu of food， they are known across the country for their excellent coffee. Even so， I wouldn't class them as a coffee house because they don't serve espresso or any espresso-based drinks.

And who could forget the most popular and wide-spread coffee house of them all， Starbucks？ They opened their first store in 1971， in Seattle and have taken the world by storm21）.

Whether you prefer the wide-spread chains or the local independent coffee house， you're taking a step into a long history of coffee each time you stop for a latte22）.

4. lounge [la?nd?] vi. 懶洋洋地站（或坐、躺）着

5. sip [s?p] vt. 小口地喝，抿

如今，咖啡馆这个概念通常会让人联想到一个供应极品咖啡和意式咖啡的舒适去处，那里有长沙发，你可以啜饮着咖啡懒洋洋地斜靠在上面。那么，咖啡馆是如何诞生的呢？

现在，我将回溯时光，探寻咖啡馆是从何处起源的，并看看它有多大变化（或者有多少没变？）

有关公共场所提供咖啡的最早记录要追溯到1475年。第一家咖啡馆名叫基瓦汉，位于土耳其君士坦丁堡（即现在的伊斯坦布尔）市。

咖啡在那个时代是如此重要，以至于在土耳其，倘若丈夫不能给妻子足够的咖啡，那妻子完全可以“休”夫，而且是合法的。土耳其咖啡味道浓郁，不加牛奶也不过滤，通常用伊芙利克壶冲泡。

在咖啡中加奶油和甜味剂的点子1529年左右在欧洲流行起来，也是在这时欧洲有了第一家咖啡馆。维也纳被土耳其军队侵略，后者在逃离这座城市时留下了很多包咖啡豆。弗朗茨·格奥尔格·科尔舍斯基声称这些咖啡是战利品，并开了一家咖啡馆。显然，他曾在土耳其生活过，是唯一知道这些豆子价值的人。他引入了咖啡要过滤以及咖啡要用牛奶和糖调和好让咖啡口感更温润的理念。这种饮料大获成功，而当咖啡馆还开始供应烘烤糕点和其他甜点时，其受欢迎度更是暴增。

咖啡馆继续流行，伦敦的第一家咖啡馆于1652年开张。虽然咖啡馆在欧洲越来越受欢迎，但开咖啡馆的想法又是从土耳其传到英国来的。有一个做土耳其商品（如咖啡）买卖的英国商人让他的两个仆人离开他，去自己做生意。“The Turk's Head （意为土耳其人的头）”咖啡馆就这样诞生了。正是在一家英国咖啡馆中，单词“tips”第一次被用作小费的意思。柜台上摆了一个罐子，罐子上有个小牌写着，“为了确保尽快服务”。想要尽快得到服务，你就在罐子里放一枚硬币。

英国人称他们的咖啡馆为“便士大学”，因为那时一杯咖啡的价格是一便士，而且上流社会的商人们经常聚集于此。事实上，爱德华·劳埃德1668年开始经营的一家小咖啡馆就是这样的一个商务中心——它最终演变为直到今天仍在运营的伦敦劳埃德保险集团。

从这里，咖啡馆的概念在整个欧洲进一步传开。意大利的第一家咖啡馆于1654年开张，巴黎的第一家于1672年开张。德国在1673年欣然开起了第一家咖啡馆。

当美洲被殖民时，咖啡馆也紧随殖民者来到这里。美国咖啡馆的角色和英国的一样：商界人士的热门去处。纽约的唐提咖啡馆（1792）是纽约证券交易所的原址，因为许多生意都是在这个咖啡馆里做成的。

直到这时，咖啡馆供应的都是普通咖啡。后来诞生了意式咖啡。1946年，加吉亚发明了商用的活塞意式咖啡机，它比此前的咖啡机容易操作得多，并且更为安全。

意大利的加吉亚咖啡馆是首家使用这种活塞意式咖啡机、除普通咖啡之外还供应意式咖啡的咖啡馆。咖啡馆的新时代开启了。

当然，古老的咖啡馆不应与近几十年的咖啡馆混为一谈。如今，咖啡馆其实是餐馆，除了基本的咖啡之外，还供应小餐馆常有的食物。蒂姆·霍顿斯就是高人气咖啡馆的一个范例，它有点超出了基本的“小餐馆”的范畴，虽然供应种类繁多的食物，但却以优质的咖啡闻名全加拿大。即使这样，我也不会将这类“咖啡馆”归为咖啡馆，因为它们不供应意式咖啡或任何以意式咖啡为基底的饮料。

而谁又会忘记所有咖啡馆中最受欢迎并且分布最广的星巴克呢？他们于1971年在西雅图开了第一家店并已在全球大获成功。

无论你偏爱分布广泛的咖啡连锁店还是当地的独立咖啡馆，每当你停下来喝一杯拿铁，你都在走进咖啡悠长的历史。