When World War Two ended, there was not a Starbucks on every block. Or a Starbucks ANYWHERE. And based on the way we flock to Starbucks today, you'd THINK people were LESS obsessed with coffee back then. Nope.  According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, coffee drinking in the U.S. peaked in 1946. The average American drank 48 gallons a year back then. That averages out to about 17 ounces of coffee a day, or about two coffee mugs.

Today? The average American drinks 23 gallons of coffee a year, or less than HALF as much as people did about 60 years ago. That averages out to eight ounces of coffee a day, or about one mug's worth.

The reasons are pretty obvious. One, we have a LOT more caffeine choices available today. Two, back then, people didn't rely on coffee shops, so they brewed coffee at home and at work, and didn't just make one or two cups.  And three, there's just been a cultural shift away from coffee. An expert from "Beverage Digest" says, "We'd drink coffee with breakfast, coffee with lunch, and coffee with dinner."


(Marketwatch)