Wade's Fancy Coffee - Civil War Soldier's Recipe

In this episode, enjoy a new twist to a soldier's favorite drink - coffee. It’s a new twist that is 162 years old anyhow! Thanks to Spared and Shared we have access to a letter written home by Edward Wade of the 14th Connecticut. In this letter he tells his wife about the best cup of coffee he has ever had and details how to make this breakfast in a mug.
Check out HistoryFix at www.historyfix.com - take a discount on us! Save an extra 20% off the first year's annual plan by using discount code CWDD20. Enjoy!
Enjoying the series - please support us on Patreon! / civilwardigitaldigest
Become a CWDD member here on our KZbin Memberships! Use this link to find more: / @civilwardigitaldigest
Thanks to the 125th OVI Fife and Drum Corps for supporting this video.
Want to show off your interest in history and Civil War Digital Digest? Check out the store for shirts, drinking ware, and more: www.cafepress.c...
#CWDD #history #dighist #digitalhistory #digitalhistorian #education #research #connection #civilwar #coffee #campfire #hotcupofjoe #infantry #camplife #Connecticut #campcoffee

[@23rdMS_Inf]

I love how this channel really goes above and beyond to use primary sources as much as possible. It brings the era back to life. It also makes me want to learn more about that person. I bet Edward Wade was a good man and great husband. His other letters are online and he survived the war!

[@danieljosiahcotton]

Another video on soldier's coffee? Yes please!

[@CivilWarDigitalDigest]

Enjoy!

[@ProjectPast1565]

Loved hearing Edward’s letter come back to life. Sounds like he was able to enjoy a well deserved and tasty cup of coffee.

[@CivilWarDigitalDigest]

Enjoy!

[@paooul_dixon]

This sounds similar along the lines of modern Vietnamese egg coffee in a sense

[@Thelonelyscavenger]

You had me when you added butter

[@mgpreacher7773]

New reenactor here ! I’m gonna have to try this at my next event ! I’ve been watching a lot of your Civil War food videos to try and learn some recipes for camp life.

[@MikeD56034]

my group has tried many of the recipe's off this channel, both the Union and CS, i portray union, but hey its fun to try everything. Bubble and Squeak (thin cut meat and vinegar gravy) is oh so delicious.

[@Mis-AdventureCH]

That's a "Gym Bro" brew if I ever saw one! 😆 But in all seriousness, the nutrition profile is over the top.

[@chrishastings2665]

I take a little sack of maple sugar to every event I go to. I'm definitely gonna use this. Another excellent video.

[@CivilWarDigitalDigest]

Thanks!

[@30thVirginiaSharpshooterBn]

That does look like a might fine cup of coffee! I bet that is a treat for any yank or reb...can't wait to try it.

[@milesfre]

I'd try it. It sounds like a dessert coffee.

[@slicksouth5773]

Just tried this. Its really good. If you are hard pressed for butter, Tallow or Lard is a good substitute. Thank you for sharing this.

[@CivilWarDigitalDigest]

Glad you enjoyed it.

[@josephgonzales4802]

Looks like it is very rich. It is not just a drink but a meal in one. I think I will try it. 😊

[@Andyman-bg8jv]

I reenacted the 14th Connecticut, this is awesome.

[@MrSepoy1857]

Sounds good!

[@guynemer53]

Sweet! I protrayed the 14th CT at Bristow Station a few years back

[@CivilWarDigitalDigest]

Here is another connection to those fellas…

[@Wolfram762]

Cwdd is such an outstanding channel!! I'm mainly a black coffee drinker also, but i do like to mix it up here and there. This recipe is DEFINITELY one that I am going to try for myself!! Thank you very much Will, and everyone at cwdd for keeping the history alive and for all of the wonderful content you all share!!!

[@CivilWarDigitalDigest]

You’re welcome, Peter! It’s good to see you. Continue to enjoy with us. From one black coffee drinker to another, I look forward to your thoughts after you try this. Will

[@Wolfram762]

@CivilWarDigitalDigest no problem buddy! I'll definitely let you know!

[@wadefullerton7579]

Appreciate the shout out

[@RobertMilton-z1s]

Just tried this a bit ago. It's actually pretty darn good.

[@CivilWarDigitalDigest]

Glad to hear! Thanks for being a patron!!!

[@craigmarshall2152]

Mic sounds great even with all that wind!

[@CivilWarDigitalDigest]

Thanks! It took a little support in Post.

[@jamessheehan2694]

tried it and it was good! thanks for the informative video!

[@CivilWarDigitalDigest]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@douglasreagan5536]

Another excellent video, something new for the upcoming campaign reenactments.

[@connorkilpatrick6283]

Sounds tasty. Wish I’d known this two years back.

[@danreger8924]

That actually doesn't sound bad at all! Thank you for sharing.

[@dalehammond1704]

Interesting. I think the key here is the situation and overall atmosphere. I'll have to try this even if eggs are now $6 a dozen.

[@1stminnsharpshooters341]

I'm a black coffee drinker as well ... but would give this a try. *LIKED* the video --LT

[@nickl9451]

The OG bullet coffee

[@Captkman]

The 14th Connecticut is my local regiment. The soldiers from my town, (Tolland) ended up in companies D & E. The New England Civil War Museum in Rockville Connecticut has a lot of great artifacts from the 14th.

[@CivilWarDigitalDigest]

Great to hear where people can go to connect with this regiment! Thanks for sharing.

[@TheArmorer08]

Just went there last spring. Great little museum!

[@timbodemi]

I wonder what the circumstances were that allowed Wade to enjoy such a rich cup of coffee. I get the impression that this was his first experience with that fancy coffee and that he may not expect to concoct it again any time soon.

[@CivilWarDigitalDigest]

Agree with you on all!

[@dianauhlman56]

Might try this, one question what type of butter are you using?

[@VAhistTeach]

I just tried this, not bad. I was expecting more of a buttery taste. Maybe my walnut wasn't big enough 😄

[@CivilWarDigitalDigest]

It’s been fun to see people checking in as they try this. It probably has the single biggest engagement with attempting an original recipe that we’ve done yet!

[@jonrettich4579]

Nice!!! Where do you get eggs now a days that are completely safe to drink? I used to mix raw eggs with different things to eat and drink many decades ago

[@CivilWarDigitalDigest]

For my money, I like to buy unwashed eggs farm fresh from a farm that I know and trust.

[@richardgreenleaf3259]

I've seen a couple of these coffee videos (this one and the "Coffee a la Zouave") and I was wondering if the channel has done any "instant" coffee videos yet. Had to look through my books to find the recipes, and technically they're for making coffee syrup and not the instant coffee we would think of today, but I found them in William Davis' "A Taste for War" and Lily May Spaulding and John Spaulding's "Civil War Recipes: Receipts from the Pages of Godey's Lady's Book". Davis calls them Picayune "Instant" Coffee (the source being the May 13, 1862 issue of Milldgeville, Georgia's Southern Federal Union newspaper) and Yankee "Instant" Coffee Syrup (which comes from the Spaulding's book). For the Picayune "Instant Coffee the recipe Davis gives is: "Bake or roast brown sugar until it is completely black, and then add hot water until it forms a thick syrup. Place 5 tablespoons of syrup in the coffee pot, and the put 1 tablespoon of real coffee grounds in the percolator or "dripper" basket. Pour boiling water through the coffee and into the syrup. The syrup will keep for some time and can be turned into coffee by mixing 1 tablespoon of syrup into boiling water." For the Yankee "Instant" Coffee Syrup Davis records the recipe as: "Take a 1/2 pound of coffee, and boil in 3 quarts of water until the quantity is reduced to 1 quart. Strain until all grounds are removed, and then put in a clean pan and boil again, gradually adding granulated sugar until it forms a thick syrup the consistency of molasses. Allow to cool, and then seal tightly in bottles. To make "instant" coffee, place 2 teaspoons of the syrup in a coffee cup and fill with boiling water." The Spaldings took what Davis calls Yankee "Instant" Coffee from in 1862 issue of Godey's Lady's Book. This recipe in their book (and possibly in Godey's as it seems the only thing they did was to add a note for the modern reader while republishing the original recipe), Coffee Syrup, is:: " This coean saucepannfection is exceedingly handy to travellers when proceeding on a long journey. Take half a pound of best, roasted, ground coffee, boil same in saucepan containing three quarts of water until the quantity is reduced to one quart; strain the latter off, and, when fined of all impurities, introduce the liquor into another clean saucepan, and let it boil over again, adding as much Lisbon sugar* to it as will constitute a thick syrup, like treacle; remove from fire, and, when cold, pour it into bottles, corking the same tight down for use. Two teaspoonfuls of the syrup introduced into a moderate-sized teacup, and filled up with boiling water, will be fit for immediate use. If milk is at hand, use it ad libitum." No idea if this was ever used by soldiers in the field, unless they either managed to get it from home or a sutler. Might have been more likely something from the home front. And unsure if the May 13, 1862 Southern Federal Union issue is available online. I have seen a few issued of Godey's on the internet archive so the issue with the Coffee Strup might be available online. But I thought I'd try sharing these as some viewers may not have these books.

[@CivilWarDigitalDigest]

It’s definitely already in the planning stages, but not one we have completed yet.

[@richardgreenleaf3259]

@CivilWarDigitalDigest Can't wait. It'll be nice to learn more about it. Thank you for the reply.

[@johnlaking9886]

My only concern is , does the egg cook ?

[@CivilWarDigitalDigest]

Part of why we did it with piping hot coffee!

[@josephdriesenga2730]

"melk" and maple sugar.... There's the West Michigan coming out

[@CivilWarDigitalDigest]

No west here at all. Lol

[@robluke4266]

I’ve heard of people putting butter in their coffee, but I’ve never tried it . To me that’s a strange cup of coffee.

[@billywild5440]

Not drinking yankee coffee, thank you. Actually, I'm switching to tea.

[@omalleyshepherd2936]

And may you enjoy it Johnny Reb!

[@lynlynnielyn9188]

Yuck,egg and butter in coffee, disgusting 😢

[@garrett9769]

Indestructible Union Army, despite multiple losses, just add coffee 🇺🇲☕️❤🤍💙 Thanks for the upload and all the amazing content you share on this channel!

[@CivilWarDigitalDigest]

Glad you enjoy it!!

[@robluke4266]

I’ve heard of people putting butter in their coffee, but I’ve never tried it. To me that’s a strange cup of coffee.