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Rhode Island Coffee
Milk - Coffee Cabinet © copyright 2004 by Linda Stradley - United States Copyright TX 5-900-517- All rights reserved. This web site may not be reproduced in whole or in part without permission and appropriate credit given. If you use any of the history information contained below for research in writing a magazine or newspaper article, school work or college research, and/or television show production, you must give a reference to the author, Linda Stradley, and to the web site What's Cooking America.
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Coffee Milk (kaw-fee milk) – A lot like chocolate milk but with coffee-flavored syrup. It is milk with sweet coffee syrup added (two tablespoons of coffee syrup to 8 ounces of milk). The drink is served either by the glass or the half-pint (in a waxed-cardboard carton). Rhode Island is the only place in the world where you can get this drink.
Coffee milk may have its origin with Italian immigrants in Rhode Island.
According to Nancy Verde Barr, author of the cookbook We Called
It Macaroni: An American Heritage of Southern Italian Cooking:
1930s - Coffee milk was introduced to Rhode Island sometime in the early 1930’s. It came about from creative diner and drugstore operators trying to attract new customers with creative drinks. One of these operators, which is lost in history, sweetened leftover coffee grounds with milk and sugar. This created a molasses-like extract that became popular. Coffee milk became an favorite among Rhode Islanders and created a demand for this coffee syrup.
1932 - The Silmo Packing Company of New Bedford, Massachusetts,
began marketing a more refined version called "coffee syrup," under the
Silmo name.
1938 - Eclipse of Warwick began marketing a more refined version of what was being made and called it "coffee syrup." Their slogan was, "You'll smack your lips if it's Eclipse."
1940s - Autocrat of Lincoln begin making their own mixture of corn syrup and coffee extract. Autocrat's slogan is "A swallow will tell you." 1991 - Both companies, Autocrat and Eclipse, used to vie for the coffee syrup business. Their rivalry ended in 1991, when Autocrat bought the Eclipse brand name and secret formula. Both labels are now produced by Autocrat and are available in stores.
1993 - After much political debate, and the debate was loud and passionate, the Rhode Island State Legislature proclaimed Coffee Milk as "The Official State Drink of Rhode Island" on July 29, 1993. The Providence Journal-Bulletin newspaper had a field day covering the story. Coffee Cabinet - When ice cream is added, Coffee Milk is called a “Coffee Cabinet” or “Coffee Cab.” In other words, a “cabinet” is a local term for a “frappe” which is a regional term for an ice cream milk shake. It is though to be called a “cabinet” because it unknown originator kept his blender in a kitchen cabinet. Also mixers were often stored in square wooden cabinets. In Rhode Island, a milk shake is just what it says: milk to which you add flavoring and then shake. In most of American, if you order a milk shake, you get ice cream blended with milk. In Rhode Island and most of New England, you would get chocolate powder or syrup stirred into milk without ice cream. Coffee
Milk Recipe: * Autocrat Coffee Syrup is the preferred syrup in Rhode Island. There are lots of internet sources for purchasing this syrup online. In a large glass, add coffee syrup and milk; stir well. Taste and add more coffee syrup to taste. Makes 1 serving.
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