The coffee served in the coffeehouses wasn't necessarily very good coffee. Because of the way coffee was taxed in Britain {by the gallon}, the practice was to brew it in large batches, store it cold in barrels, and reheat it a little at a time for serving. So coffee's appeal in Britain had less to do with being a quality beverage than with being a social lubricant. People went to coffeehouses to meet people of shared interests, gossip, read the latest journals and newspapers-a brand-new word and concept in the 1660s-and exchange information of value to their lives and business. Some took to using coffeehouses as their offices-as, most famously, at Lloyd's Coffee House on Lombard Street, which gradually evolved into Lloyd's insurance market.
( Bill Bryson )
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