Postum was a powdered roasted grain beverage sold by the Kraft Foods company as a coffee substitute. The caffeine-free beverage mix was created by Postum Cereal Company founder C. W. Post in 1895 and marketed as a healthful alternative to coffee.[1]:93 (The Postum Cereal Company eventually became General Foods, which was bought by Kraft Foods.) Post was a student of John Harvey Kellogg, who believed caffeine to be unhealthy. Postum was made from wheat bran, wheat, molasses, and maltodextrin from corn. It was discontinued in 2007.[2][3]
| “ | Lost Eyesight through Coffee Drinking | ” |
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—Postum advertisement[1]:95 |
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The drink quickly became popular, making Post very wealthy. Its aggressive advertising, with the mysterious slogan "There's a Reason", warned against coffee and caffeine's alleged dangers, and promoted the benefits of Postum. When imitations appeared the company introduced a cheaper drink, Monk's Brew, that was identical to Postum, then discontinued it after competitors left the market. Instant Postum appeared in 1911.[1]:93-98
Although the Postum Cereal Company explicitly stated in its advertising that Postum did not taste like coffee and was not a coffee substitute,[4] the drink enjoyed an enormous rise in sales and popularity in the U.S. during World War II as coffee became heavily rationed and people searched for a replacement.[1]:223
Postum was sometimes marketed by an invisible cartoon ghost named Mister Coffee Nerves, who would appear in situations wherein people were shown in uncomfortable life-situations (e.g., irritability, lack of sleep, lack of athletic prowess) due to their use of coffee and its negative effects. These cartoons always ended with the afflicted people switching to Postum and Mister Coffee Nerves running away until the next cartoon.[5] The company was also a sponsor for the radio shows Lum and Abner, Beulah and The Aldrich Family, and for the radio version of Father Knows Best.
Before being discontinued, Postum was sold in the U.S. and Canada. The 8 oz. (226 g) glass jar contained about 75 teaspoon servings. This 10‑calorie beverage was caffeine free, fat free, trans-fat free, sodium free, and kosher. In addition to the original flavor, there was also a coffee-flavored version. Since its discontinuance, a number of replica recipes for Postum have circulated across the Internet.[6]
Postum was popular among members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was part of Mormon culture for many years because they abstain from coffee due to their religious beliefs.[7][3][2]
Since 1945, Postum is a U.S. code name for polonium-210, used in the Urchin style nuclear weapon initiators.
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