Coffee has long been a staple in U.S. military culture; a fact reflected at the Intrepid Museum, where pictures of soldiers drinking coffee, as well as personalized coffee mugs, are featured within the collection.
This rich history goes beyond the military. NASA also embraced coffee as a morale booster for its astronauts—making it likely one of the most important drinks in American history.
Coffee in Space
Coffee has been an integral part of space travel since humans began venturing into the unknown. However, until the Apollo 11 mission, there was no hot coffee in space! There had never been hot water onboard space shuttles or orbiters before.
Most foods on space missions are stored in a powder form at room temperature—including coffee. Hot or cold water was then added, similarly to the freeze-dried food options astronauts were given.
Astronaut Michael Collins from the Apollo 11 mission famously said, “Behind the Moon, I was by myself, all alone but not lonesome. I felt very comfortable back there. I even had hot coffee.”
Astronaut Ellison Onizuka was an early advocate for coffee-lovers in space. In the 1980s, Onizuka requested a coffee blend from his home state of Hawaii. NASA obliged his request and continues to take coffee requests from astronauts today. Onizuka tragically lost his life in the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger in 1986, but NASA still provides his preferred coffee blend to astronauts today in his honor.
Coffee at Sea
No war ship is going anywhere without coffee—USS Intrepid included. The Navy is known to take coffee very seriously, as some say it is a holy substance that can jumpstart a sailor’s alertness.
The Navy established coffee-roasting plants in Oakland, California, Brooklyn, New York, and Hawaii to ensure the sailors were caffeinated during World War II. After Pearl Harbor, the Navy even purchased most of Hawaii’s Kona crop.
Aircraft carriers today have Starbucks employees train the sailors on how to make their signature coffee drinks. They teach them seven menu drinks to bring a little bit of home to the sea. The USS Carl Vinson even has a Starbucks onboard at discounted prices. All the money made from it goes back to the crew via Navy cash cards!
R Division poses with cups of coffee. Credit: Collection of the Intrepid Museum. Gift of former crewmember (DC2) - William A. Young - 1954-1956.Coffee Under the Sea
Patrols on missile submarines are estimated to consume around 1,200 pounds of coffee. Coffee beans were just as important for fueling the Navy as diesel fuel or uranium—and they made sure it was always available to sailors whether under or above the sea, USS Growler included.
Mornings did not happen at the same time for every sailor. Since they were underwater, it was often hard to tell the difference between day and night, especially with rotating shifts. This meant that there is always coffee brewing no matter when or where.
Credit: Collection of the Intrepid Museum. Gift of the family of Jon Roger Geer. P2014.57.37 Caption: Coming in for a landing, looking for that first cup of coffee. Coffee at the Intrepid Museum
The Intrepid Museum has coffee options available for visitors—both for drinking on the go and mugs from our collection that are available for purchase!
Check out the Aviator Grill for sit-down and some fresh coffee, or the Intrepid Marketplace for coffee on the go. Outside the Museum’s entrance, there is also the Pier Side Cafe, which is open seasonally on Pier 86. All are great options for enjoying your Cup of Joe at the Museum. At the gift store on site, there are coffee mugs and paraphernalia available for visitors to purchase.
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