How well do you know your Cup o’ Joe? (+ the roasted beans it comes from?!) Test your knowledge with 46 Coffee Trivia Questions and Answers.

For a large portion of the world’s population, mornings don’t being until they’ve had a cup of coffee – but how much do you know about your cup of joe? Do you know where your coffee comes from? Where it was grown? When it was discovered? And did you know that coffee is officially the world’s number 2 traded commodity (after oil)?!

The coffee industry provides jobs for over 25 million farmers and is a 22 billion dollar business in the United States alone (they certainly are a nation of coffee drinkers!) – and the world’s love affair with the coffee bean has given us some funny coffee quotes, that end up being words to live by – such as “Coffee – because bad mornings deserve a second chance” and “A yawn is a silent scream for coffee”.

So whatever your favourite type of coffee – whether it is home brand supermarket coffee, expensive coffee, filter coffee, drip coffee, pod coffee, ground coffee, iced coffee, alcoholic coffee like an espresso martini or whatever coffee comes out of your home coffee machine(!) – grab a cup an settle down to test your knowledge with 46 Coffee related trivia questions and answers. (Or head over to our Ultimate Tea Quiz if that’s your preferred drink!)

We hope you enjoy it – even if you have never drank coffee!

Coffee Trivia Questions – How Well Do You Know Your Cup of Joe?!

1. What innovative idea did emerge in 1989, when a certain person named Jay Sorensen was pulling out of a coffee shop drive-through on the way to his daughter’s school but met with an unfortunate accident inside the car?

2. Where is the International Coffee organization located?

3. The name of which variety of coffee bean comes from the port city on the Red Sea coast of Yemen through which most Yemeni coffee was exported before the 20th century?

4. What was invented and patented in 1890 by David Strang of Invercargill, New Zealand under patent number 3518 and sold under the trading name Strang’s Coffee?

5. Which country is the coffee plant native from?

6. Why was Coffee banned in Mecca in 1511?

7. What was invented by German entrepreneur Melitta Bentz on 8 July 1908 when she wanted to remove the bitter taste caused by boiling loose grounds or using the typical method of linen to brew coffee?

8. Coffee was introduced throughout the islands of Indonesia by the Dutch in the 1600s. Which was the first Indonesian island to cultivate coffee?

9. Dimitris Vakondios, a Nescafe representative invented which popular Greek iced coffee drink in 1957 that takes its name from the French word for “Iced or drinks chilled with ice”?

10. Introduced in 1892 by wholesale grocer Joel Owsley Cheek, which popular American coffee brand was named in honour of a major hotel in downtown Nashville, Tennessee?

11. One of the most expensive and infamous coffees in the world is coffee plucked from the dung of civet cats. What is its name?

12. The largest cup of coffee (containing 22,739.14 litres!!) was created on 15 June 2019. To build this giant cup fifty people worked for more than a month on this project, but which South American country holds this Guinness World Record?

13. What was invented in the United States by the Rudd-Melikian company in 1947, and was debuted as the “Kwik Kafe”?

14. Which country consumed the most coffee per capita in 2020?

15. What name is given to an Italian method of brewing coffee where extremely hot water (~95℃) is forced through finely-ground coffee at enormous pressure?

16. “One More Cup of Coffee (Valley Below)” is a popular 1975 duet song between Emmylou Harris and which legendary American singer-songwriter?

17. With which 1773 American political and mercantile protest, could you associate the name of three ships: Beaver, Eleanor and Dartmouth?

18. How many beans does a coffee plant produce?

19. Which famous composer composed a secular cantata titled “Coffee Cantata” probably between 1732 and 1735?

20. With origins in central and western sub-Saharan Africa, what is the Coffea canephora species of coffee better known as?

21. Which city is called the ‘coffee capital of Australia’?

22. The largest coffee-growing state in Brazil accounts for nearly 50% of the country’s production. Name the state.

23. Milanese manufacturer and “maker of liquors” Luigi Bezzera invented what in the early years of the 20th century while looking for a method of quickly brewing coffee directly into the cup?

24. Described as Ethiopia’s version of American chain Starbucks, which popular Ethiopian coffee chain established in 2005 was named after a legendary Ethiopian goatherd who discovered the coffee plant around 850 AD?

25. The French word for ‘half cup’, the cups are typically, half the size of a regular coffee cup, holding two to three ounces of beverage. The smaller size facilitates the drinking of strong, after-dinner, specialty coffees, such as espresso, cappuccino and Turkish coffee. What is this cup called?

26.  Liebeck v. McDonald’s Restaurants was a highly publicized 1994 product liability lawsuit in the United States against McDonald’s. How is this lawsuit popularly known as?

27. How many milligrams (mg) of coffee are in one shot of espresso?

28. The popularity of which coffee brewing device may have been aided in 1965 by its use in the Michael Caine film The Ipcress File?

29. One of the most expensive coffees in the world, what is the market name for coffee cultivated on the slopes of Hualalai and Mauna Loa of the Big Island of Hawaii?

30. The Starbucks logo was based on the siren design on a 16th Century Norse Woodcut – but do you know the name of man who designed it?

31. Popularised on social media during the COVID-19 pandemic, what is the name of the beverage made by whipping equal parts instant coffee powder, sugar and hot water until it becomes creamy and then adding cold or hot milk to it?

32. Which German company turned their coffee filters into face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020?

33. Which coffee-flavoured Italian dessert is made of ladyfingers dipped in coffee, layered with a whipped mixture of eggs, sugar and mascarpone cheese, flavoured with cocoa?

34. Which famous composer used to take his coffee with exactly 60 beans per cup?

35. What name is given to a person, usually a coffeehouse employee, who prepares and serves coffee drinks?

36. Which popular British coffeehouse chain was founded in London in 1971 by brothers Bruno and Sergio?

37. What was the most popular breakfast drink before coffee became widely available?
A. Water.
B. Beer
C. Hot Chocolate.
D. Tea.

38. The largest coffee producing country in the world is.
A. China.
B. Sri Lanka.
C. Brazil.
D. India

39. International Coffee Day is celebrated on what day each year?
A. 1st October.
B. 1st March.
C. 1st July.
D. 1st December.

40. If you drink coffee every day, how many cups is considered to be a safe amount?
A. 5 cups
B. 6 cups
C. 4 cups
D. 3 cups

41. On the 5th December 2020, Luke Ibbetson broke the record for the fastest time to drink a cup of coffee in London (UK) – How fast did he drink it?
A. 2.86 seconds.
B. 3.66 seconds.
C. 4.02 seconds
D. 3.48 seconds

42. First referred to in an Australian soap opera in 1976, what is the name of the style of coffee that is uniquely Australian?

43. Which coffee-based cocktail was created by Dick Bradsell in London in 1983, at the request of a top fashion model?

44. During the reign of the Ottoman Empire, in which city was the first coffeehouse opened in 1555?

45. What fruit is produced on the coffee plant and coffee trees alongside the beans?

46. Coffee is grown in approximately how many countries (in 2021)?

 

Coffee Quiz Questions and Answers

1. What innovative idea did emerge in 1989, when a certain person named Jay Sorensen was pulling out of a coffee shop drive-through on the way to his daughter’s school but met with an unfortunate accident inside the car?
The Coffee Cup Sleeve.

2. Where is the International Coffee organization located?
London.

3. The name of which variety of coffee bean comes from the port city on the Red Sea coast of Yemen through which most Yemeni coffee was exported before the 20th century?
The Mocha coffee bean (from the port of Mocha (al-Makha)

4. What was invented and patented in 1890 by David Strang of Invercargill, New Zealand under patent number 3518 and sold under the trading name Strang’s Coffee?
Instant coffee (also known as soluble coffee).

5. Which country is the coffee plant native from?
Ethiopia.

6. Coffee was banned in Mecca in 1511 – Why?
It was believed to stimulate radical thinking and hanging out.

7. What was invented by German entrepreneur Melitta Bentz on 8 July 1908 when she wanted to remove the bitter taste caused by boiling loose grounds or using the typical method of linen to brew coffee?
The first paper coffee filter.

8. Coffee was introduced throughout the islands of Indonesia by the Dutch in the 1600s. Which was the first Indonesian island to cultivate coffee?
Java.

9. Nescafe representative, Dimitris Vakondios, invented which popular Greek iced coffee drink in 1957 that takes its name from the French word for “Iced or drinks chilled with ice”?
Frappe Coffee.

10. Introduced in 1892 by wholesale grocer Joel Owsley Cheek, which popular American coffee brand was named in honour of a major hotel in downtown Nashville, Tennessee?
Maxwell House.

11. The worlds most expensive coffee is coffee plucked from the dung of civet cats. What is its name?
Kopi luwak.

12. The largest cup of coffee (containing 22,739.14 litres!!) was created on 15 June 2019. To build this giant cup fifty people worked for more than a month on this project, but which South American country holds this Guinness World Record?
Colombia.

13. What was invented in the United States by the Rudd-Melikian company in 1947, and was debuted as the “Kwik Kafe”?
The coffee vending machine.

14. Which country drinks the most coffee per capita?
Finland – they are the top coffee consuming country in the world, drinking 26.45 Lbs Per Capita – that’s a lot of coffee!

15. What name is given to an Italian method of brewing coffee where extremely hot water (~95℃) is forced through finely-ground coffee at enormous pressure?
Espresso. 

16. “One More Cup of Coffee (Valley Below)” is a popular 1975 duet song between Emmylou Harris and which legendary American singer-songwriter?
Bob Dylan.

17. With which 1773 American political and mercantile protest, could you associate the name of three ships: Beaver, Eleanor and Dartmouth?
The Boston Tea Party.

18. How many beans does a coffee plant produce?
A coffee plant can produce an average of 4,000 beans per year (which is approximately 1-2 pounds of coffee.)

19. Which famous composer composed a secular cantata titled “Coffee Cantata” probably between 1732 and 1735?
Johann Sebastian Bach.

20. With origins in central and western sub-Saharan Africa, what is the Coffea canephora species of coffee better known as?
Coffea robusta

21. Which city is called the ‘coffee capital of Australia’?
Melbourne. (read more about Melbourne here!)

22. Which state in Brazil accounts for nearly 50% of the country’s production?
Minas Gerais.

23. Milanese manufacturer and “maker of liquors” Luigi Bezzera invented what in the early years of the 20th century while looking for a method of quickly brewing coffee directly into the cup?
Espresso Machine.

24. Described as Ethiopia’s version of American chain Starbucks, which popular Ethiopian coffee chain established in 2005 was named after a legendary Ethiopian goatherd who discovered the coffee plant around 850 AD?
Kaldi’s coffee.

25. The French word for ‘half cup’, the cups are typically half the size of a regular coffee cup, holding two to three ounces of beverage. The smaller size facilitates the drinking of strong, after-dinner, specialty coffees, such as espresso, cappuccino and Turkish coffee. What is this cup called?
Demitasse cup.

26.  Liebeck v. McDonald’s Restaurants was a highly publicized 1994 product liability lawsuit in the United States against McDonald’s. How is this lawsuit popularly known?
McDonald’s coffee case or the hot coffee lawsuit.

27. How many milligrams (mg) of coffee are in one shot of espresso?
212mg

28. The popularity of which coffee brewing device may have been aided in 1965 by its use in the Michael Caine film The Ipcress File?
A French press (also known as a cafetière, press pot, coffee press or coffee plunger).

29. One of the most expensive coffees in the world, what is the market name for coffee cultivated on the slopes of Hualalai and Mauna Loa of the Big Island of Hawaii?
Kona coffee.

30. The Starbucks logo was based on the siren design on a 16th Century Norse Woodcut – but do you know the name of man who designed it?
Terry Heckler

31. Popularised on social media during the COVID-19 pandemic, what is the name of the beverage made by whipping equal parts instant coffee powder, sugar and hot water until it becomes creamy and then adding cold or hot milk to it?
Dalgona coffee.

32. Which German company turned their coffee filters into face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020?
Melitta.

33. Which coffee-flavoured Italian dessert is made of ladyfingers dipped in coffee, layered with a whipped mixture of eggs, sugar and mascarpone cheese, flavoured with cocoa?
Tiramisu.

34. Which famous composer used to take his coffee with exactly 60 beans per cup?
Beethoven

35. What name is given to a person, usually a coffeehouse employee, a coffee maker – who prepares and serves coffee drinks? Barista.

36. Which popular British coffeehouse chain was founded in London in 1971 by brothers Bruno and Sergio?
Costa Coffee.

37. What was the most popular breakfast drink before coffee became widely available?
A. Water.
B. Beer
C. Hot Chocolate.
D. Tea.

38. The largest coffee producing country in the world is.
A. China.
B. Sri Lanka.
C. Brazil – 25% of the world’s coffee beans are grown in Brazil.
D. India.

39. International Coffee Day is celebrated on:
A. 1st October.
B. 1st March.
C. 1st July.
D. 1st December.

40. Multiple studies have found that a daily coffee intake of how many cups is a safe amount?
A. 5 cups
B. 6 cups
C. 4 cups. (400 milligrams (mg) is a safe amount of caffeine per day for a healthy adult)
D. 3 cups

41. On the 5th December 2020, Luke Ibbetson broke the record for the fastest time to drink a cup of coffee in London (UK) – How fast did he drink it?
A. 2.86 seconds.
B. 3.66 seconds.
C. 4.02 seconds
D. 3.48 seconds

42. First referred to in an Australian soap opera in 1976, what is the name of the style of coffee that is uniquely Australian?
A Flat White. 

43. Which coffee-based cocktail was created by Dick Bradsell in London in 1983, at the request of a top fashion model?
Espresso Martini

44. During the reign of the Ottoman Empire, in which city was the first coffeehouse opened in 1555?
Istanbul 

45. What fruit is produced on the coffee plant alongside the beans?
Coffee Cherries

46. In approximately how many countries is coffee grown (in 2021)?
70

 

 

And that’s a wrap! We hoped you enjoyed our Coffee Quiz and Coffee-related Trivia Questions and Answers – and be sure to share this with your coffee-loving friends and see if they can beat your score!

If you enjoyed this Coffee quiz, be sure to check out our other food and drink-related quizzes and food trivia questions and answers (and a few other topics too – such as Music Trivia and Movie Trivia!):

• Champagne Quiz Questions and Answers
• The Ultimate Beer Quiz
• Wine Trivia Questions and Answers
• Call Yourself a Baker? Take our Ultimate Cake Quiz?!
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