Culper Coffee Company

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Culper Coffee Company

Culper Coffee’s mission is to provide high quality coffee products while honoring the Culper Spy Ring and other American Revolution themes. locations.

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05/31/2026

Do you know Major John Clark Jr.? When the British occupied Philadelphia in September 1777, George Washington needed eyes inside and around the city.

That responsibility fell in part to Major John Clark Jr., a Pennsylvania officer who helped operate Washington’s intelligence network during the Philadelphia campaign.

Clark’s agents and couriers reported on British troop movements, wagons, ammunition, river activity, bridge construction, ships, and rumored attacks. In November 1777, his reports helped Washington follow British operations around the Delaware River forts, including Fort Mifflin and Fort Mercer, which blocked British control of the river south of Philadelphia.

Clark’s work depended on informants, concealed letters, couriers, and sources willing to move through occupied territory. One surviving report from November 3, 1777 described ammunition wagons, British positions, bridge-building, shipping, and plans to attack the forts.

His story is a reminder that Revolutionary War intelligence was not only carried through New York coffee houses or Long Island. Intelligence was vital in all areas of the War.

05/26/2026

Our Brewster challenge coins came in and are in stock on the website! While priced a bit higher than our regular coins, these coins are huge (see last pic) and have great 3D work. The design itself is intentionally dark/lacking color to symbolize operations at night. Specific facial features are also left off to add to the mystery/darkness. We had planned for a fog effect, but that turned out hard to do on metal. Definitely happy with these. Grab yours today!

05/25/2026

Our Memorial Day 2026 sale starts today and ends tomorrow at noon. Take 20% off your entire order with a *two item minimum* for code use. Code automatically applied at checkout.

05/09/2026

In Revolutionary America, coffee was not a neatly sealed bag on a shelf. It was usually an imported commodity, moving through Atlantic trade networks before reaching colonial ports, shops, coffeehouses, taverns, and homes. Before it could be served, coffee had to be roasted by hand, then ground, pounded, or crushed before brewing.

Coffee was often boiled or steeped, then poured carefully, strained through cloth, or allowed to settle. The result could be smoky from uneven roasting, bitter from boiling, or gritty from grounds left behind.

Coffee also carried political weight. As tea became tied to British taxation and imperial trade, coffee grew more visible in American life. Still, it was not a standard early Continental Army ration. The 1775 ration listed bread or flour, meat or fish, peas or beans, milk when available, rice or Indian meal, spruce beer or molasses, but not coffee. While coffee was not a standard issue early in the war, when it could be found, purchased, or privately supplied, officers and soldiers did consume it. In camp, it would have been more of an occasional comfort than a guaranteed daily ration.

Coffee was sold by merchants, grocers, shopkeepers, and even booksellers. It moved through the same world as sugar, molasses, rum, newspapers, shipping, and war supplies. In 1777, Abigail Adams wrote of a “great scarcity of sugar and coffee” in Boston, describing women confronting a merchant accused of holding back coffee and demanding an inflated price.

05/03/2026

A great time as always at Revolutionary War Weekend at Mount Vernon. Great seeing as always, and of course, I couldn’t resist picking up the wooden Join or Die and Philad’a Blend. I failed at taking more pictures but absolutely make a trip next year (or this afternoon) if you’re able. Another highlight of the day was a new fan stopping me to chat about my shirt.

04/29/2026

In the 18th century, a harbor was one of the best places to gather intelligence.

Ships brought more than cargo. They carried newspapers, letters, military supplies, prisoners, deserters, sailors, merchants, rumors, and news from distant cities. A single dockside conversation could reveal where troops were moving, which ships had arrived, what supplies were short, or what officers were planning. Ports were crowded, noisy, and hard to fully control. That made them dangerous but useful.

In a world before telegraphs, railroads, or instant communication, ports were information engines. News moved by ship, and the people who lived around the waterfront sometimes knew things first.

Espionage was not always invisible ink and secret codes. Sometimes it was watching the harbor, Sometimes it was knowing which ship left before dawn.

During the Revolution, control of ports meant control of supplies, movement, and communication.

04/26/2026

Who was John André? Major John André was not the rough, shadowy figure people often imagine when they think of Revolutionary War espionage.

He was polished, educated, artistic, and socially gifted. Born in London in 1750 to a wealthy Huguenot family, André was known for his charm, intelligence, poetry, art, theater, and ability to move comfortably through elite circles.

Intelligence work was not always done in dark alley meetings. It was done through letters, introductions, dinners, loyalist networks, military contacts, and trust. André understood and was able to blend into that world well.

By the late 1770s, he had become adjutant general of the British Army in North America and was deeply involved in British intelligence operations under Sir Henry Clinton.

His most famous operation was his connection to Benedict Arnold.

In 1780, Arnold secretly planned to surrender West Point to the British. André served as the British contact in the plot. West Point was critical because it helped control the Hudson River and losing it could have been a major blow to the American cause.

After meeting with Arnold, André attempted to return to British lines under the false name John Anderson. He carried a pass signed by Arnold and secret papers related to West Point hidden on his person.

On September 23, 1780, three militiamen stopped him in Westchester County, New York. They searched him, found the papers, and the plot collapsed.

Arnold escaped and André did not.

A board of American officers determined that André should be treated as a spy. He was hanged at Tappan, New York, on October 2, 1780.

André’s story is not just about betrayal. It is a reminder of how fragile espionage was in the 18th century. Intelligence depended on timing, trust, paper, roads, disguises, and luck.

04/19/2026

Before Lexington and Concord, there was intelligence.

In the days leading up to April 19, 1775, both sides were already engaged in a quiet war of information.

Key Patriot Intelligence Agents (Pre-April 19, 1775)
• Paul Revere: Led a network of artisans and spies (the “Mechanics” or “Liberty Boys”) monitoring British activities in Boston. He reported to Dr. Joseph Warren that regulars were preparing to move against Concord.
• Joseph Warren: Acted as the central intelligence hub in Boston, receiving tips that British regulars intended to march to Lexington to arrest Samuel Adams and John Hancock.
• Samuel Prescott & William Dawes: Rode with Revere to spread the alarm, providing crucial information on British patrol movements after the three were intercepted.
• Anonymous French Source: Provided a detailed, French-language report to Gen. Gage in March 1775 about supplies in Concord, but also passed information to the Patriot side.

At the same time, the British were running their own intelligence missions.

British Intelligence Operations
• William Browne & Henry DeBerniere: Sent by Gen. Thomas Gage to survey the road to Worcester (Feb 1775) and then to Concord (March 1775) to locate hidden weapons. Disguised as “country people,” they suffered close calls while attempting to map the area, highlighting the difficulty of spying in hostile territory.

Spycraft and Methods
• Surveillance: The “Mechanics” observed troop movements and equipment transfers in Boston.
• Signals: While not yet the formal “one-if-by-land” lights known in popular history, coordination relied on swift courier rides, such as those performed by Revere and Dawes.
• Disguise: British officers wore civilian clothing to pass as residents.

By the time fighting broke out at the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the intelligence war had already been fought.

04/18/2026

Happy Saturday- time for some history-themed coffee! Lots of history today, looking forward to remembering the events of April 18-19, 1775!

Culper Coffee Company Liberty & Co.

04/15/2026

Another restock alert 🚨 🚨 Our popular 16oz hand thrown mugs are now back in stock and on the site. These have gone fast in the past, so don’t miss out this round!

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https://culpercoffeeco.com/

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