Mixed feelings

[Sailor Steve]

Look at the bright side. Denying those items to the enemy can't be good for his morale.

[BigWalleye]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

Look at the bright side. Denying those items to the enemy can't be good for his morale.

The tobacco and alcohol, yes. But they'd never have noticed the lack of coffee. The word "coffee" in Britain refers to a beverage most Americans wouldn't recognize. Although legend has it that it is made from coffee beans.

[Aktungbby]

Originally Posted by BigWalleye

The tobacco and alcohol, yes. But they'd never have noticed the lack of coffee. The word "coffee" in Britain refers to a beverage most Americans wouldn't recognize. Although legend has it that it is made from coffee beans.

Actually they did and made do with 'ersatz coffee' of every description: In Britain, this was additionally popularised as an adjective from the experiences of thousands of U.S., British, and other English-speaking combat personnel, primarily airmen, who were captured in the European Theatre of operations during World War II. These Allied POW's were given ersatz goods such as Ersatzkaffee, an inferior Getreidekaffee or "grain coffee" as a coffee substitute by their German captors also known as Mucke**** possibly from the French "mocca faux".. In WWII, Acorns were used to make coffee... or toast chicory or rice...I can't start the day without a cuppa joe ritually ground be me from whole Arabica French roast beans in my Krupp coffee maker... WAR is HEll !! http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaffee%C3%A4hnliches_Getr%C3%A4nk

[BigWalleye]

Originally Posted by Aktungbby

Actually they did and made do with 'ersatz coffee' of every description: In Britain, this was additionally popularised as an adjective from the experiences of thousands of U.S., British, and other English-speaking combat personnel, primarily airmen, who were captured in the European Theatre of operations during World War II. These Allied POW's were given ersatz goods such as Ersatzkaffee, an inferior Getreidekaffee or "grain coffee" as a coffee substitute by their German captors also known as Mucke**** possibly from the French "mocca faux".. In WWII, Acorns were used to make coffee... or toast chicory or rice...I can't start the day without a cuppa joe ritually ground be me from whole Arabica French roast beans in my Krupp coffee maker... WAR is HEll !! http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaffee%...s_Getr%C3%A4nk

What you say is true. That was the experience of Allied POWs in Germany. (Ersatz meaning substitute von Deutsch.) Ersatz became an English loan word for any inferior substitute.

But losing a boat-load of Arabica (Robusta, more likely!) would not have had an impact on British morale, military or civilian, like losing a boatload of Virginia long-leaf or (Heaven forfend!) Canadian rye.

And Churchill himself would have been bereft at the loss of a boatload of Cohibas!

[Aktungbby]

Originally Posted by BigWalleye

But losing a boat-load of Arabica (Robusta, more likely!) would not have had an impact on British morale, military or civilian, like losing a boatload of Virginia long-leaf or (Heaven forfend!) Canadian rye.

And Churchill himself would have been bereft at the loss of a boatload of Cohibas!

Get out your Heli-ox SCUBA gear BBY! and about 30 lbs weight belts apiece I reckon. WE"RE GOIN"DOWN-Hamm's on me; you cover the salvage rights... We'll cause a boom in the coffee-futures commodities market!$$$$ Actually Connecticut shade grown leaf would be the disaster! They make the best wrappers and binders (the two outermost layers) on anyones' stogie. Filtering the sun produces a thinner and more elastic tobacco leaf that cures to a lighter, even color often desired by the Cuban and Dominican cigar producers. Good ol' Yankee knowhow-My wife had a job picking that one summer-grueling work; I enjoy an ersatz Cohiba from the Dominican Republic all the more for it-but think the impendin' recognition of Cuba-thanks Mr Obama- will alter the logistics of the humidor...considerably I see from his cruise honeymoon pics, our OP, GoldenRivet, might just be in on this!

[GoldenRivet]

I tell you - i had a hand full of folks ashore in Mexico try to sell me Cigars. Some had the raised gold "Cohiba" Seal commensurate with authentic Cuban Habanos.

I didnt buy a single cigar in Mexico... seemed like every batch i looked at had signs of tobacco beetles - i even saw one indiscriminately crawling across the glass of the humidor.

Sorry Juan... a) im not keen on smoking beetle larva and b) there is no way in hell im introducing them to my humidor