coffee subsitute

[lincolnsguard]

Water, water water....

[Boyd Miles]

You can find accounts of water being found in wells, springs, streams, rivers, ditches and puddles in roads, they used them all but for the most part in re-enacting there is "safe" water somewhere on site or if you are like me you could bring a couple of gallons from home just in case. Boring as it is water is the most common non coffee beverage a soldier drank.

[10Tenn]

extract from THe Revised Regulations for the Army-1861 with revisions to 1863-
paragraph 1190-the Ration

..."For the United States Army it is composed as follows"..."to every one hundred rations"..."ten pounds of green coffee, or, eight pounds of roasted (or roasted and ground) coffee, or, one pound eight ounces of tea"

So tea is an 'official' option-I've seen period reference to both hot and cold.
Cocoa was available, but is mostly mentioned as a substitute for coffee in medical situations due to it being less stimulating to the system(in period medical belief)

[PetePaolillo]

I think coffee is the worst thing i'v ever drank!

...Blasphemy!!

[moconfed]

An alternative to coffee? I think not. First orders of the morning in our camp- FIRE then COFFEE (the record time for this is 9 minutes). Pot 2/3 full of water and sufficient grounds. Boil over 3 times, pull it off the fire, top it off with cold water to drop the grounds, and hang it close to the heat. Good all day long. We go through probably 3 gallons a day.

[toptimlrd]

First of all, I drink Cafe Du Monde Coffe with chickory all the time, I love the extra taste of the chickory.

As to period substitutes you have some good answers with water and tea. If there is a sutler near by you may have been able to find lemon concentrate to make lemonade (forgive me it's late and the period term escapes me). There is also switchel if you need a period "Gatorade".

[mmescher]

For the mention of tea in blocks, could you give a quote of the statement that mentions it or a reference to where in the book it is found. We did a word search on Amazon and couldn't find it. For brick tea, we haven't seen any period references for tea in that form in the United States. Mongolia, yes, but not Europe or the US.

Thanks!

[S.D.Swart]

Portable Lemonade called by various names such as Sugar of Lemons, and Lemon Surup, was available. As was condensed milk, and powdered Coco/chocolate. However on the battlefield, I doubt anything other than water, coffee or tea was available. Also remember root teas, such as sasafrass. If you are a fan of cold teas, and if there is a good running stream available at the reenactment. Brew some tea in the morning. Drink your fill, then take the rest in a period sealed container and tie it, place in in the cold stream and leave it tied to the bank. Come back in the late afternoon, evening when your very hot and tired and have a refreshing tin of ice tea!!

I'm a ex soldier, so coffee and brewed tea are the nectar of the gods for me.

S.D.Swart