Why We Call Coffee a "Cup of Joe"

According to a 2020 report from the National Coffee Association, Americans are drinking more coffee than ever. Beginning the day with a cup of joe, as the modest drink has long been called, is so habitual for many people that the comprehensive survey describes the caffeinated brew as "essential to daily lives coast-to-coast."

Though we're quick to reference the morning brew as a cup of joe, it's unlikely anyone who utters the idiom truly know where it comes from, or eve what it means. Read on to find out the meaning of cup of joe and its potential origins.

Where Did "Cup of Joe" Come From?

The theories for the catchy moniker are about as numerous as the ways to consume the beloved beverage — that is plentiful, and no one way is the correct one.

The phrase is so universal, in fact, it has spurred countless creative iterations in the name of coffee shops around the country. In New York City, for instance, Joe Coffee Company, Cup of Joe Coffee Company, Java Joe Coffee Tea & Spice Merchant, and Bread and Joe all peddle the popular drink known as a cup of joe.

But three theories as to the slang's origin usually rise to the top.

One theory on cup of joe's origin goes like this: In 1914, a ban on alcohol on U.S. Navy ships imposed by the Secretary of the Navy Josephus "Joe" Daniels meant that the strongest drink available aboard the ship was black coffee. It wasn't long before the angry sailors began referring to the hot drink as Joe or cup of joe, a nod to the Navy secretary.

Gabrielle Bernstein, co-founder of Joe Coffee Company, of which there are now 20 in New York City, subscribes to this theory: "What I always heard about the origin story of cup of joe was that it was during World War II, and there was a sergeant who didn't allow the troops to drink booze, so he gave them a lot of coffee instead." The booze-banning sergeant's name was Joe, and so, says Bernstein, "they started calling coffee 'a cup of Joe.'"

Another theory plays into this story: Many believe that the nickname cup of joe is a way of saying coffee is common — it's a common man's drink. Joe, being a common name, represents the basic beverage (though these days, coffee is often anything but basic). Coffee wasn't a cappuccino or a latte or a flat white or cold brew. It was coffee grounds and water. Hot, caffeinated, and open to milk or sugar additives, coffee was regular. Low-brow, low-key, cheap, and purpose-serving.

The third and no less compelling explanation for how cup of joe came about goes back to the 1930s when coffee's most popular nickname was jamoke, from mocha java. Some linguists say joe is a shortened version of jamoke. British etymologist and writer Michael Quinion's research supports this understanding of cup of joe's origin.

Still, cup of joe endears as much as it endures, bringing coffee back to its roots.

Long before Starbucks graced every street corner and shopping plaza, and before New England favorite Dunkin' Donuts entered the scene, coffee was largely unadorned and unadulterated. Regular coffee replaced tea during the Boston Tea Party of 1773. It wasn't long before Maxwell House and Folger's Coffee became household staples.