I can never remember if coffee is kosher for Passover or not. I woke up this morning REALLY needing a cup...and I freaked out when I realized I might not be able to have one. And then I remembered that the haggadah (a text/book that tells the story of the Passover holiday) of my youth had Maxwell House branding all over it. Hmmm, I thought...coffee must be OK if Maxwell House is the official sponsor of Passover. The story of how Maxwell House took this position is a fascinating one.

Just like me, many folks were confused as to whether or not coffee was one of the forbidden foods during Passover. Legumes are not allowed to be consumed during the 8-day holiday, and since beans (for the most part) are legumes, many assume that coffee beans are off limits. Identifying this as having a possible negative impact on sales, Maxwell House's Advertising Agency, Joseph Jacobs, hired an Orthodox rabbi to certify that the coffee bean was actually OK (since, technically, it is more like a berry than a bean). They then sponsored the printing of a haggadah, which quickly became ubiquitous throughout suburban America. And yes, many a seder (including ours) were accompanied by Maxwell House coffee...brilliant.

Fascinating facts about this Marketing campaign include:

The Maxwell House haggadah is the longest running sales promotion in Advertising history
Over 50 million Maxwell House haggadahs have been printed since the 1930's
The first and only revision of the Maxwell House haggadah was completed in 2011 (nearly 80 years after its introduction)
Maxwell House was the first coffee roaster to target a Jewish demographic

It's a pretty amazing story of Marketing brilliance. The best news of all...it's an easy reminder that coffee is OK to drink during Passover. Have a great holiday and stay caffeinated!