Alfred Peet
A Dutch immigrant with exacting standards who sparked America's craft coffee obsession by introducing dark-roasted, full-flavored beans.
1920–2007 (age 87)·Dutch-American businessman·Birthday: March 10·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Alfred Peet arrived in the United States from the Netherlands in 1955, appalled by the weak, stale coffee he found. After years in the tea and coffee trade, he opened a single, unassuming shop on Vine Street in Berkeley in 1966. There, he personally roasted small, potent batches of high-quality beans in a drum roaster, filling the street with an aroma that became a local attraction. Peet wasn't just selling coffee; he was conducting a masterclass, educating a generation of customers on origin, roast, and proper preparation. His most famous students, three young men from Seattle, bought his beans and learned his methods before founding Starbucks, effectively making Peet the godfather of the entire specialty coffee movement. He remained a critical, purist voice in the industry, often dismayed by the commercial direction his progeny took, but his legacy is in every cup of carefully sourced, thoughtfully roasted coffee served today.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Alfred was born in 1920, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Alfred Was Born
The biggest hits of 1920
#1 Movie
Way Down East
Alfred's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1920Born
Women gain the right to vote in the US
Home: $3,395President: Woodrow Wilson"Swanee" — Al Jolson
1925Started school
The Scopes Trial debates evolution in schools
Home: $4,366President: Calvin Coolidge"Sweet Georgia Brown" — Ben Bernie
1933Became a teenager
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
1936Could drive
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1938Could vote
Kristallnacht and the escalation toward WWII
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $2,850Min wage: $0.25/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Begin the Beguine" — Artie ShawBest Picture: You Can't Take It with You
1941Turned 21
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1950Turned 30
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1960Turned 40
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1970Turned 50
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1980Turned 60
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1990Turned 70
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 80
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2007Died at 87
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
Key Achievements
- Founded Peet's Coffee & Tea in Berkeley, California, in 1966, the catalyst for the American specialty coffee movement.
- Mentored Starbucks founders Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl, and Gordon Bowker, providing them with his roasting techniques and beans in their early days.
- Pioneered the direct sourcing of high-quality Arabica beans and introduced deep, complex roasting profiles to a U.S. market accustomed to bland coffee.
- Built a cult-like following for his original Berkeley store, which operated for over 50 years before closing in 2021.
Did You Know?
He learned the coffee trade as a young man working for his father's coffee wholesale company in Alkmaar and later at a London coffee importer.
Peet's first shop sold mostly whole beans and loose tea; brewed coffee by the cup was a secondary offering.
He was known to chastise customers who asked for cream and sugar, believing they were ruining the flavor of his carefully crafted product.
After retiring, he moved to Oregon and grew Pinot Noir grapes, applying the same fastidiousness to viticulture.
“I gave Americans something they didn't have: good coffee.”
