The Drink Cowboys Drank All Day And Night Long (And The Brand They Relied On)

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The Old West wasn't known for its creature comforts. Cowboys didn't set out to trail cattle with a set of fully charged earbuds and packets of hydrating powder in their saddlebags. They had trail songs for entertainment, canteens filled with water, and a rough day's ride ahead. 

Cowboys always had coffee on the campfire, though, and they drank it day and night. It was one of the first things they found in the morning, and they sipped it alongside meals like huevos rancheros, a flavorful Mexican breakfast that fueled cowboys in the Old West. They drank coffee for energy and morale all day while they worked and to pass the time on long trail rides. They drank it in the evenings at home and out on the range, and they used it to stay awake as they watched over livestock through the night. The brand they purchased most often was Arbuckles'.

The coffee scene wasn't so nuanced in the 1800s. Store-bought instant coffee brands and single-sourced coffee beans for blonde roast fans simply didn't exist yet. Arbuckles' developed a patented glazing process that allowed it to be the first brand to sell roasted coffee beans, and it was an immediate staple. Nearly everyone in the Old West had a brown, 1-pound package of Arbuckles' Ariosa Blend on hand, and there are plenty of cowboys who still drink it today.

Arbuckles' offers way more than just the one variety of coffee that the brand sold in the 1800s. The company's website has a rich range of whole bean and ground coffees in a variety of roasts, flavors, and origins. If you want to embody the cowboy spirit of the Old West, though, you'll have to get a bag of Arbuckles' Ariosa. You'll see there are several grind size options for the coffee when you're ordering — choose the campfire grind if you plan to make real cowboy coffee. You need a very coarse texture for easy campfire brewing and straining before you take a drink.

Cowboy coffee is an irreverent way to make coffee. The barista doesn't do any measuring, tamping, or timing. To make true cowboy coffee, toss a handful of coffee grounds into a bucket of boiling water situated over a campfire. When it looks dark enough to drink, pour it into a tin cup through a strainer (or drink it with the grounds in the cup). Cowboys used all kinds of fire-proof containers to make a cup of joe, but something like this campfire percolator coffee pot will make the job easier. Cowboys didn't add any milk, sugar, or creamers to their coffee. They drank it black and strong. But a little bit of sweetener can go a long way when you want to try an old-school coffee drink you can still enjoy.