Postum

Postum (US: /ˈpoʊstəm/) is a powdered roasted-grain beverage once popular as a coffee substitute. The caffeine-free beverage was created by Post Cereal Company founder C. W. Post in 1895 and marketed as a healthful alternative to coffee. The Post Cereal Company eventually became General Foods, which was bought by Kraft Foods. Post was a student of John Harvey Kellogg, who believed that caffeine was unhealthy.

The "instant" drink mix version was developed in 1912, replacing the original brewed beverage. Postum is made from roasted wheat bran, wheat and molasses. This 10‑calorie beverage is caffeine-free, fat-free, trans-fat-free, sodium-free, and kosher.

In addition to the original flavor, a coffee-flavored version was introduced.

Postum quickly became popular, making Post wealthy. The 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, identical to Postum, then discontinued it after competitors left the market. Instant Postum appeared in 1911.

Although the Post Cereal Company explicitly stated in its advertising that Postum did not taste like coffee and was not a coffee substitute, the drink enjoyed an enormous rise in sales and popularity in the US during World War II when coffee was rationed and people sought a replacement.

Postum was sometimes marketed by a 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 fleeing until the next cartoon. The company sponsored the radio shows Lum and Abner, Beulah and The Aldrich Family, and the radio version of Father Knows Best.

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