A hundred years ago there was a coffee beverage called Cafe des Invalides. Not sure that name would work today (or that I’d buy this product), but I love the descriptive nature of the name.
1923 Cafe des Invalides Advertisement
A hundred years ago there was a coffee beverage called Cafe des Invalides. Not sure that name would work today (or that I’d buy this product), but I love the descriptive nature of the name.
What a great name! Boy would I like to know what was in that one. Chicory is the only thing that comes to mind, and I bet it was decaffeinated to not produce nervousness or wakefulness!
I did a deep dive, and could not find anything specific as to contents, but yes, partially decaffeinated. A hotel for disabled veterans was constructed in Paris, Hotel des Invalides. It is now a destination for cafés and the les invalides tag is on many of them. The earliest entry in the US newspapers was 1887. Perhaps it was developed to not agitate the veterans while recuperating, but who still wanted coffee?
Nicely done Suz! I’ve never heard of it before, but it certainly sounds reasonable to me, and a romantic history!
Yes, and the name sounded so exotic no doubt!
What an interesting history! Thanks for researching.
You are welcome. I enjoy learning about things I don’t know about.
I also wondered what “vegetable substances” the ad was referring to, and, like you, thought that perhaps it was chicory.
Remember Postum from during World War II? Maybe that was an ingredient.
I do remember Postum! -though not quite back to the WWII era. I drank it sometimes when I was pregnant to avoid caffeine. It had an interesting taste, but it’s definitely not as good as coffee. I think that it was made with wheat.
That is what I recall also–wheat and perhaps molasses? For the color and coffee appearance? I did not drink it until I was in my 20s and I don’t recall why other than a friend suggested it.
Yes, I think you’re right about it also having molasses.