Coffeeholics Anonymous Trivia Quiz

Answer: France

Voltaire (1694-1778) created plays, novels, essays, and poetry. He also authored historical and scientific papers. Voltaire was considered by many to be one of the greatest thinkers of his time. Some of his energy undoubtedly came from the 50 cups of coffee that he is said to have drunk every day. If you do not sleep, there is so much more time to write!

Answer: Bach

While much of Bach's work was sacred music he did compose a few secular pieces. Among these was the "Coffee Cantata" which is often called a comic opera. The piece was first performed at Zimmerman's Coffee House in Leipzig. Some of the lyrics are as follows:
"Mmmm! how sweet the coffee tastes,
more delicious than a thousand kisses,
mellower than muscatel wine.
Coffee, coffee I must have,
and if someone wishes to give me a treat,
ah, then pour me out some coffee!"
source of lyrics kaffeeKantate.html;http://www.jsbach.net

Answer: Beer

While Fredrick the Great of Prussia (1740-1786) was an avid coffee drinker, he did not approve of its growing popularity among his soldiers nor the general population. He is often credited with the following quote: "It is disgusting to note the increase in the quantity of coffee by my subjects and the amount of money that goes out of the country in consequence. Everybody is using coffee. If possible this must be prevented. My people must drink beer." He went on to state that he did not believe he could rely on coffee drinking soldiers but only on those who drank beer. Thanks to dardroast.com for this quote.

Answer: Sir Francis Bacon

Sir Francis Bacon was one of the foremost minds of his time. He is often credited with being one of the most important practitioners of what is known today as "the scientific method". A formidable jurist, he became a favorite of Queen Elizabeth I. Not well-known for his love of wine or other spirits, his drink of choice was coffee.

He felt that it kept man healthy, sane, and promoted longevity. Who am I to argue?

Answer: Caffeine poisoning

Honoré de Balzac was rumored to have worked 15 hour days for years. He is also said to have drunk 40 cups of coffee a day to achieve this his extensive output. He wrote a paper titled "The Pleasures and Pains of Coffee" in which he alludes to suffering from a caffeine addiction which led him to eat raw coffee grounds in an effort to become sufficiently stimulated.

This work is a paean to the delicious liquid known as coffee. While the actual cause of his death is not known for sure, it was rumored for many years to have been caused by his enormous intake of coffee.

A caffeine overdose can be fatal but usually requires drinking at least 80 cups of coffee in a 24 hour period.

Answer: Napoleon Bonaparte

Napoleon loved coffee. When Napoleon was exiled to St. Helena in 1815 he discovered the wonderful coffee grown on the island. After his death St. Helena coffee became very popular all over France. Napoleon is said to have drank coffee everyday and was very picky as to how it was brewed and where it was grown. In many of his writings he mentions his love of coffee.

Answer: False

In 1930 Agatha Christie wrote the play called "Black Coffee". Featuring Christie's famous sleuth Hercule Poirot, the play was novelized in 1998 by Australian writer Charles Osborne. Christie rarely drank coffee and is rumored to have said "Coffee in England always tastes like a chemistry experiment." Leroy Jethro Gibbs is a fictional character from the American television show NCIS.

He is known for drinking coffee on an almost continual basis while at work.

Answer: Ludwig van Beethoven

Beethoven was well known among his peers as a coffee connoisseur. He was known for being very picky about his coffee and was rumored to count out exactly 60 coffee beans for each cup. Gustav Mahler was Austrian, not German.

Answer: False

While Mackintosh is said to have died from injuries received in a choking incident, the item involved was a chicken bone. Mackintosh was a well known coffee aficionado and is credited with saying "the powers of a man's mind are directly proportionate to the quantity of the coffee he drinks". Mackintosh was known to drink a dozen cups of coffee a day and attributed his own intelligence to the fact that he indulged in coffee all day long.

Answer: Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.

Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. was a noted physician who advocated the idea of cleanliness as a method of disease prevention. He was also the author of the "The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table" in 1858 and "Old Iron sides" in 1830. Holmes loved his coffee and was known to drink between 5-10 cups of coffee a day. He felt that coffee helped his creativity and empowered his brain.