The origins of the word "mug" come from the Swedish mugg, Norwegian mugge, or German mukke. Ceramic is the best material for coffee mugs since it can be painted in a variety of colors, washed in the dishwasher, and is able to withstand hot temperatures. The timing was perfect as coffee was becoming the drink of choice throughout the world. It was ceramics that changed coffee mugs forever during the Middle Ages. These cups were almost impossible to drink from because the exterior would get extremely hot when the coffee was poured. With the rise of metalwork, coffee mugs were made instead from gold, silver, bronze, and lead. Thankfully, we stopped using animal skills and wood by 3000 BC. Coffee wouldn’t be discovered until thousands of years later. These cups were crafted from wood or animal skulls and were used for water, spirits, mead, and wine. The first coffee mugs were used during the Neolithic period (3900 BC – 1700 BC). Coffeehouses also started popping up, giving people a safe place where they could chat, listen to music, play games like chess, and keep up on current news. It all started on the Arabian Peninsula, but coffee soon made its way around the world. He thought they were berries at first, but when the goats ate them and couldn’t sleep at night, he stumbled upon the power of caffeine!īy the 15th century, the coffee industry became a global trade. Legend has it that a goat herder named Kaldi noticed these beans on a tree growing near his farm. The discovery of coffee dates back to 850 BC in Ethiopia. The face mask printed on the front is a clever nod to the mandatory masks that we all had to wear in public during the pandemic. The COVID-19 inspired a ton of creative merch, such as these quarantine-ready coffee mugs.