Why loving coffee may be part of who you are

Let’s be honest, we drink coffee because it’s just good. A new study suggests that enjoying that morning cuppa may be a part of your genetic make-up.

That’s right. Your morning ritual of turning on the coffee machine may be thanks to our ancestors who have guzzled espresso before us.

The study was conducted by Scientific Reports . It analysed our taste genetics (yep, that’s a thing) and crunched the numbers. Those of European ancestry had particular genetic variants linked to the strength of perception of various tastes. They studied people’s strength when it came to perceiving bitterness in caffeine, quinine (found in bitter drinks such as tonic water) and a drug called propylthiouracil.

The result? People with a greater genetic predisposition to perceiving the bitterness of caffeine consumed more coffee.

It’s not natural for humans to gravitate towards bitter tastes. The study concludes that, due to this factor, drinking coffee may be a learnt behaviour from our ancestors who have drunk it before us. Doing that zombie-like walk in the morning to your favourite cafe? You’re following in the footsteps of those that came before you.

Love a good cup of coffee? Try out our house blends, or get our coffee delivered to your door.