Wisconsin, home of of all the cheese you can dream of, but did you know it’s also the home of the coffee break?

It’s true! Stoughton, Wisconsin even has an annual festival to commemorate the invention!

In the late 1800’s, immigrants from Norway came to Stoughton and were employed in the area. When tobacco season came, the men needed extra hands, so they brought in the Norwegian women to help. The women agreed, but with one condition. They needed two breaks a day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. The one in the afternoon was typically used to go back to their homes and work on the chores for the day. However, the one in the morning was free of burden. Seeing as how there was always a pot of coffee on the stove, the women asked and were soon able to help themselves during the morning break, and soon a staple of life was born!

Nowadays, Stoughton holds an annual coffee break festival, usually held on the third Saturday in August. They showcase many coffee vendors and hold a brew off, a bean spitting contest, an arts and crafts show, and much more!

More information on the coffee break festival can be found here.