Coffee consumption among westerners hits high
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
The West really loves coffee, despite Utah's peculiar relationship with java.
The big picture: Nationally, daily coffee-drinking among U.S. adults is at a high of more than 20 years, according to a recent National Coffee Association survey.
Zoom in: About 69% of adults in the West drank coffee in the past day, per NCA polling.
- That's a 6% jump from 2020.
Flashback: In 2004, less than half of adults had coffee in the past day nationwide, per NCA polling.
The intrigue: Utah's prominent religion, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, requires its members to abstain from coffee, along with alcohol, tea and tobacco.
- When Starbucks opened its first location in Provo, — home to the church-owned Brigham Young University — it made local and national headlines.
Yes, but: Attitudes towards coffee consumption among young Latter-day Saints are changing.
- Nearly 1 in 3 millennial members said avoiding coffee was "essential" to being a "good" Latter-day Saint, according to a 2018 survey.
- That's compared to 52% of Baby Boomers and people from the Silent Generation who said it was "essential."
Between the lines: Although drip coffee is the most popular way to prepare coffee nationally, consumption of espresso-based beverages has been growing.
- Lattes are the most popular in the U.S. — 18% of American adults drank one in the past week — followed by espresso shots and cappuccinos, NCA says.