Black Coffee’s Literary Patron Saint.

Jack Kerouac, the poet laureate of the Beat Generation, had a complex relationship with coffee – equal parts ritual, fuel, and existential backdrop.

Coffee shows up throughout Kerouac’s novels, especially On the Road, where it’s practically a character of its own. In dingy diners, roadside shacks, and all-night cafes, Kerouac’s protagonists nurse endless cups of black coffee, sometimes with apple pie, sometimes alone in quiet reverie. Coffee wasn’t just a stimulant for his marathon writing sessions, it was a symbol of restless nights, highway wanderings, and deep, stream-of-consciousness conversations with fellow Beats like Neal Cassady and Allen Ginsberg.

In his Belief and Technique for Modern Prose, a list of writing principles, Kerouac advises: "Keep track of every day the date emblazoned in yr morning.”   It was in New York’s Chelsea district apartment where Jack wrote On the Road. You can almost imagine him, starting the day with an Anthora coffee cup in his hand, a cigarette, and a notebook.  His coffee habit wasn’t elegant or refined – it was functional, habitual, and almost spiritual. It kept him going through long writing binges and even longer journeys across America.

Dedicated to preserving the legacy of the iconic Anthora coffee cup – a true symbol of New York City’s street culture, corner delis, and daily rituals – NY Coffee Cup celebrates its enduring design, cultural significance, and place in coffee history, both in NYC and beyond.