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WORLD of WINE: Coffee and wine share some historical roots

I just ordered a pound of “Black Insomnia Coffee” — stuff that is supposed to take care of your caffeine fix with just one cup.

Caffeine, like alcohol, is a drug mankind has had a long association with. Nature created them to kill creatures much smaller than us; caffeine to kill insect predators, and ethanol to kill competitive microbes.

Ethanol trumps caffeine with palm wine and ethanol from wild potatoes in Chile, going back further than 13,000 BC. Research indicates that the desire for a stable supply of alcohol could have been the motivation to kick off agricultural and non-nomadic civilizations.

Before the Enlightenment, Europeans consumed alcohol on a daily basis, and as trade increased with the Arab world, coffee made its way into the European culture with the stimulant caffeine making an impact on the thinking of the consumers, leading to eventual prosperity.

When one awakens from an alcohol-induced hangover, the first thing reached for is a strong cup of coffee rich in caffeine, for its analgesic — pain killing — qualities.

While a marriage such as this exists between alcohol and coffee, we all know that too much of either one will kill us. Too much alcohol from any source — beer, wine, or high spirits can be addictive — and destroy one’s life either directly or by destroying the ability to support ourselves.

While it is believed that three out of four regular caffeine users are “addicted” to the substance with just 3 to 6 cups a day being consumed, too much — around 5 grams — can be fatal, which is equal to about 30-40 cups of regular coffee.

Being a strong black coffee drinker since my days in the Navy, as well as a moderate consumer of wine and beer as well, I know enough to not over consume either beverage. Fortified wine with the alcoholic content in the low 20s, I limit myself to about 3 ml when the mood hits, and I get the effect desired.

With Black Insomnia Coffee, the caffeine content is around 702 mg per 12-ounce cup, and is recommended cautious use only by people who have a high tolerance to caffeine. Just one 12-ounce cup is almost double the safe dose of caffeine the average adult should consume. My approach to this cup of “mud” will be like that of fortified wine; start out with just a 3-4 ounce sip. If somewhere near that volume gives me the lift I want, so be it.

Wine and coffee are glamorized these days with fancy names and exotic descriptors, with both wine and coffee containing more than 800 volatile aroma compounds, giving the poetic amongst us plenty of ways to describe what we are drinking.

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