The Gateway City was a popular stop for miners, trappers and settlers heading west, so offices and wholesaler warehouses lined the riverfront. Railroads and steamboats brought an abundance of goods, including green coffee. By the early twentieth century, St. Louis—with more than seventy roasting companies—was the coffee capital of the United States. Some coffee businesses—including Blanke, Forbes and Evans—faded, while Ronnoco remains, working alongside newer generation roasters such as Kaldi’s and dozens more. Author Deborah Reinhardt traces an industry that helped shape St. Louis history and shows how today’s creative coffee professionals continue to influence a culinary culture.
Deborah Reinhardt is a native St. Louisan and an award-winning travel and food writer. She cowrote A Culinary History of Missouri: Foodways & Iconic Dishes of the Show-Me State (The History Press, 2021) with Suzanne Corbett. As author of Delectable Destinations: A Chocolate Lover’s Guide to Missouri, Deborah believes that quality chocolate and a good cup of coffee are two of life’s greatest pleasures. In 2020, Deborah launched her food blog, Three Women in the Kitchen (threewomeninthekitchen.com), with a focus on comfort food and wisdom from her mother, grandmother and other home cooks; it has received state and national awards. For more information, follow her on Facebook and Instagram @threewomeninthekitchen.