About SACRED
In our world of grab-and-go and maximum productivity, it’s easy to take our relationship with coffee for granted. An initiative led by students at Carnegie Mellon University , SACRED sees coffee as an opportunity to pause for reflection, social connection, and sustainable change. We’ve compiled an examination of the cultural and historical significance of coffee, and we invite you to join us in discovering the spirit of coffee.
The average American will spend over $50,000 on coffee throughout their lifetime.
What will you be investing in?
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Take a look at how deeply coffee is embedded in our lives, from culture and history, to education and sustainability.
The geographical birthplace of coffee, Ethiopian culture remains deeply rooted in their relationship with the drink. The Ethiopian coffee ceremony takes over an hour to complete every day, teaching us lessons on slowing down and connecting with the people who are important to us.
As coffee migrated to Yemen, it was increasingly adopted by Sufi monks, who used it as a stimulant for their late night rituals. As the drink gained popularity around the European world, it gained influence with early alchemists, who saw it as sacred.
Early coffee shops served as important gathering spaces during the British Enlightenment, hosting intellectual discussions accessible to people from all social backgrounds. We can learn about our own interactions with these spaces through this history.
ANEI is a coffee cooperative located in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta region of Colombia, also known as el Corazón del Mundo, or the Heart of the World. Known for its incredible biodiversity and rich traditions, there's much to learn from the people and the culture found in this region.