America and Coffee: There is More Than Just Brewing Coffee has been a mainstay in American life for hundreds of years. For instance, in the U.S. Civil War, a sharp rifle with a coffee grinder was built into the stock.  Moving forward, everyone from the G.Is abroad, parents around the kitchen table, NASA engineers, and even kids drinking Frappes will enjoy some form of coffee culture. In the U.S., whether we think about it or not, coffee serves a very large and diverse demographic of Americans. But what are some things we should think about regarding our coffee besides the taste? Commodity The National Coffee Association estimates that in 2022, coffee was a 343.2 billion dollar industry. What this means is that coffee as a commodity is economically substantial for the U.S. but also for the countries growing and exporting it. Something to think about is the balance between paying a higher price for the coffee we drink to ensure a reasonable wage is paid to everyone vs. pricing everyday Americans out of a drink that is so regularly enjoyed. If the prices are raised too high, then the workers won’t benefit from raised wages because no one will be able to justify the bag’s price. If prices are too low, then in effect, the industry reduces some people to slavery. Both are extreme, but the point remains we have to have a balance. This should be a talking point because of the vast differences in prices, from as low as 8 dollars to as high as 45 dollars for some very exotic coffees. Most of the coffees I enjoy personally are in the 15-20 range, which, for most people, is high. Source: https://www.ncausa.org/Research-Trends/Economic-Impact#:~:text=Highlights%20include%3A,than%20%24100%20billion%20in%20wages. Culturally As mentioned before, the Sharps rifle with a coffee grinder built-in shows the…