Civil War soldiers called the first instant coffee "axle grease"

The Union Army's attempt at instant coffee during the Civil War came in tins containing a thick slurry of condensed milk and coffee concentrate that soldiers compared to "axle grease." The history of instant coffee is a story of failed attempts to make something soldiers and travelers would tolerate, recounted in Works in Progress. — Read the rest The post Civil War soldiers called the first instant coffee "axle grease" appeared first on Boing Boing.