The north wind fills the air with a razor-sharp chill.

We shovel the drifted snow and scrape the thick frost from the windshield. A weak streak of sunrise slices open another wintery day.

And we reach for a good hot cup of coffee to start our morning.

Nothing can chase away the chill and jump start the average Yooper first thing in the morning like a steamy mug of coffee.

Coffee time at camp circa 1974. Dad pours water for coffee and cocoa.

If you ever get the chance to watch folks in parking lots, streaming into workplaces, shops and schools, well over half of them will be cradling a container from Starbucks, Biggby or Jo to Go in their hands.

I know some people are tea drinkers out there, but the majority us love Folgers, Hills Bros or Maxwell House.

Coffee beans have a rich history. Wild coffee plants originated in Ethiopia. Coffee found its way to European countries throughout the 16th and 17th centuries. The great aroma while brewing and the caffeine kick that comes from coffee made the demand for this drink to grow.

By 1852 Brazil became the biggest producer of coffee beans.

During the second World War, the United States rationed coffee. Chicory roots and other plants were used as a substitute for coffee. But nothing was quite as good as the real thing.

Karen Rose Wils

Back in my mom’s day, coffee clutching was thought of as a thing housewives did. The glass percolator boiled on the kitchen stove and Audrey, Dorothy, Ethel and Madge gathered to talk about their kids and recipes and drank coffee.

When I was growing up, we stopped in for coffee at a relative’s or neighbor’s house several nights a week. It helped us unwind after a busy day. We talked, laughed and sipped coffee.

Today, coffee is big time. Drive through coffee shops have replaced the kitchen table. From a porcelain pot on the back of the woodstove to latte’s served in a paper cup with a spill proof top, coffee has come a long way!

So many different types, blends and flavors of coffee exist today. There’s cappuccino, mocha, espresso, Frappuccino and more. Carmel, mint and hazelnut (my favorite) can make the coffee into almost a dessert.

My husband and I often travel with our beagles. Toby, our spotted dog, has discovered Bluetick Brew in Bark River (bluetick is a type of hound or the color of a hound’s coat.) Yup, the hazelnut coffee is great there, and so is their logo.

Express Coffee, if you’re heading south, and Superbloom Coffee, if you’re heading north, can help your day get off to a good start.

But the very best cup of coffee is the warm and welcoming one shared at home with family and friends. Be warm and well!