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{{short description|Roasted-grain beverage popular as a coffee substitute}}
{{Infobox brand
| name           = Postum
| logo           = Postum brand logo.png
| logo_size   = 200
| image          = 
| image_size   = 200
| caption        = 
| producttype    = [[Roasted grain beverage]]
| currentowner   = [[Post Holdings]]
| producedby     = 
| country        = U.S.
| introduced     = {{start date and age|1895}}<ref>[https://postum.com/pages/our-roots Our roots] on Postum website</ref>
| discontinued   = 
| related        = 
| markets        = 
| previousowners = 
| trademarkregistrations = 
| ambassadors    = 
| tagline        = 
| website        = {{url|https://postum.com/|postum.com}}
| module         = <!-- or: misc -->
| module1        = <!-- or: misc1 -->
| footnotes     =
}}
'''Postum''' ({{IPAc-en|US|ˈ|p|oʊ|s|t|əm}}) is a powdered [[roasted grain beverage]] popular as a [[coffee substitute]]. The [[caffeine]]-free beverage was created by [[Post Consumer Brands|Post Cereal Company]] founder [[C. W. Post]] in 1895 and marketed as a healthier alternative to [[coffee]].{{r|pendergrast2010}}{{rp|93}} Post was a student of [[John Harvey Kellogg]], who believed that caffeine was unhealthy. Post Cereal Company eventually became [[General Foods]], and merged into [[Kraft Foods Inc.]] in 1990. Eliza's Quest Foods assumed the trademark rights and secret recipe of Postum in 2012.

The "instant" drink mix version was developed in 1912, replacing the original brewed beverage.<ref>{{citation |editor-first= R.J. |editor-last= Clarke |editor2-first= R. |editor2-last= Macrae |year= 1987 |title= Coffee (Volume 5): Related Beverages |publisher= Springer |isbn= 9781851661039 |pages= [https://books.google.com/books?id=n9ZEMquvPoYC&pg=PA98 98–99] }}</ref> Postum is made from roasted [[wheat bran]] and [[molasses]]. In addition to the original flavor, coffee-flavored and cocoa-flavored versions have been introduced.

==Acrylamide==
When tested by the FDA, Postum had more [[acrylamide]] than any other product, by dry weight.<ref name=foodnavigator>{{cite news |title=FDA produces most extensive list of acrylamide content in foods |url=https://www.foodnavigator.com/Article/2006/08/08/FDA-produces-most-extensive-list-of-acrylamide-content-in-foods |access-date=17 January 2024 |work=foodnavigator.com |date=7 August 2006}}</ref><!--Acrylamide content of  Eliza's Quest Food Postum made using the same trade secret recipe is presumptively similar until shown otherwise.--><ref name=FDA-list>{{cite web |title=FDA-Measured Acrylamide Levels |url=http://www.oehha.ca.gov/prop65/acrylamideintakefdaappendix.pdf |website=OEHHA |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120208032632/http://www.oehha.ca.gov/prop65/acrylamideintakefdaappendix.pdf |archive-date=2012-02-08}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Postum Advertisement 1910.jpg|thumb|170px|Advertisement from 1910]]
{{quotebox|quote=Lost Eyesight through Coffee Drinking|salign=right|author=— Postum advertisement{{r|pendergrast2010}}{{rp|95}}}}
Postum quickly became popular, making Post wealthy. The aggressive advertising, with the slogan "There's a Reason", warned against the alleged dangers of coffee and caffeine, and promoted the benefits of Postum. When imitations appeared, the company introduced a cheaper drink called Monk's Brew that was identical to Postum, but discontinued it after competitors left the market. Instant Postum appeared in 1911.{{r|pendergrast2010}}{{rp|93–98}}  A 1912 advertisement for Instant Postum is the earliest known use of the word "instant" to refer to a processed food that can be prepared immediately.<ref name="oed-instant">{{cite OED|instant|1092511898}}</ref>

Although the Post Cereal Company explicitly stated in its advertising that Postum did not taste like coffee and was not a coffee substitute,<ref name="life1942112373">{{Cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IkAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA73 |title=Now, how did I ever get that idea? |date=1942-11-23 |magazine=[[Life (magazine)|Life]] |access-date=November 22, 2011 |pages=73 |type=advertisement}}</ref> the drink enjoyed an enormous rise in sales and popularity in the United States during [[World War II]] when coffee was [[Rationing in the United States|rationed]] and people sought a replacement.<ref name=pendergrast2010>{{ cite book |title= Uncommon Grounds: The History of Coffee and How It Transformed Our World |first= Mark |last= Pendergrast |author-link= Mark Pendergrast |location= New York City |publisher= [[Basic Books]] |year= 2010 |orig-year= 2001 |edition= Rev. |isbn= 9780465018369 |oclc= 609871227 }}</ref>{{rp|223}}

Postum was sometimes marketed by a cartoon [[ghost]] named Mr. Coffee-Nerves,<ref>{{citation |last1= Young |first1= William H. |last2= Young |first2= Nancy K. |year= 2007 |contribution= Coffee & Tea |title= The Great Depression in America: A Cultural Encyclopedia, Volume 1 |location= Westport, CT |isbn= 978-0-313-33521-1 |publisher= Greenwood Publishing |page= [https://books.google.com/books?id=VBljswTLaIEC&pg=PA101 101] }}</ref> who would appear in situations wherein people were shown in uncomfortable life situations (e.g., [[irritability]], [[sleep deprivation|lack of sleep]], [[Fatigue (medical)|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 Mr. Coffee-Nerves fleeing until the next cartoon.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-osborn-enterprise-mr-coffee-nerves/157473300/|title=Mr. Coffee-Nerves finds himself out of a job|newspaper=The Osborn Enterprise|date=October 12, 1934|page=7}}</ref> The company sponsored the radio shows ''[[Lum and Abner]]'', ''[[Beulah (series)|Beulah]]'' and ''[[The Aldrich Family]]'', and the radio version of ''[[Father Knows Best]]''.

Postum was popular with members of [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] and part of [[Culture of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints|Mormon culture]] for many years because Mormons abstain from coffee.{{r|sih20080104}}{{r|Stephenson 2008-01-01}} It was also popular with those following religious dietary restrictions of [[Seventh-day Adventists]].{{r|rowe20080122}}

The US government used Postum as a code name for [[polonium]],<ref>[http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/2006/12/injecting_polonium_into_humans.html Injecting Polonium into Humans], Federation of American Scientists, December 12th, 2006 by Steven Aftergood</ref> used in the [[Urchin (detonator)|Urchin]]-style nuclear weapon initiators.

Kraft discontinued production of Postum in 2007.<ref name="sih20080104">{{citation |first= Sara |last= Israelsen-Hartley |title= Fans in withdrawal from coffee substitute Postum |url= http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1180881/Fans-in-withdrawal-from-coffee-substitute-Postum.html?pg=all |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130120114350/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1180881/Fans-in-withdrawal-from-coffee-substitute-Postum.html?pg=all |url-status= dead |archive-date= January 20, 2013 |newspaper= [[Deseret News]] |date= January 1, 2008 |access-date= 2012-11-21 }}</ref><ref name="Stephenson 2008-01-01">{{citation |url= http://archive.sltrib.com/article.php?id=7855502&itype=NGPSID&keyword=&qtype= |last= Stephenson |first= Kathy |date= January 1, 2008 |title= Mormons mourn Postum's passing |newspaper= [[The Salt Lake Tribune]] |access-date= 2012-11-21}}</ref><ref name=rowe20080122>{{cite news |first= Taashi |last= Rowe |title= Goodbye to Postum |url= http://news.adventist.org/all-news/news/go/2008-01-16/goodbye-to-postum/ |work= [[Adventist News Network]] |date= January 16, 2008 |access-date= 2014-07-20 }}</ref><ref>{{citation |first= Jenna |last= Fisher |date= March 12, 2008 |title= Can Postum fans revive their beloved beverage? |url= https://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Food/2008/0312/p13s02-lifo.html |newspaper= [[The Christian Science Monitor]] |access-date= 2012-11-21}}</ref> In May 2012, Kraft sold the Postum trademark and trade secret to Eliza's Quest Food, with Postum sold through Postum.com.<ref>{{citation |url= http://postum.com/about-our-product/ |title= About our product |work= Postum.com |publisher= Eliza's Quest Foods |access-date= 2013-01-31 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://archive.today/20120713132143/http://postum.com/about-our-product/ |archive-date= 2012-07-13 }}</ref> As of January 2013, Eliza's Quest Food succeeded in returning Postum to many grocery stores across the United States and Canada.<ref>{{citation |url= http://postum.com/where-to-find-postum/ |title= Where To Buy |work= Postum.com |publisher= Eliza's Quest Foods |access-date= 2013-01-31 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://archive.today/20130131153732/http://postum.com/where-to-find-postum/ |archive-date= 2013-01-31 }}</ref>

== Gallery ==
<gallery>
Rod and gun (1898) (14770187321).jpg
Rod and gun (1898) (14772805642).jpg
Rod and gun (1898) (14761459986).jpg
Lincoln centennial number (1909) (14778772172).jpg
Postum at Wallmart.jpg
</gallery>

== In popular culture ==
In "All by Herself", episode 14, season 5 of ''[[The Facts of Life (TV series)|The Facts of Life]]'', Mrs. Garrett offers the girls a nice, piping hot cup of Postum.

In "The Pez Dispenser", episode 14, season 3 of ''[[Seinfeld]]'', George and Jerry briefly discuss how Postum is underrated as a drink.

In “Homer the Smithers”, episode 17, season 7 of ''[[The Simpsons]]'', Homer becomes Mr. Burns’ assistant. In a montage of Homer’s ineptitude on the job, Mr. Burns throws a drink in Homer’s face, shouting: “You call this Postum?!”

==See also==
* [[Barleycup]]
* [[Caro (drink)|Caro]] (sold as Pero in the United States)
* [[Coffee substitute]]
* [[Inka (beverage)|Inka]]
* [[List of barley-based drinks]]
* [[Ovaltine]]
* [[Roasted grain drink]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
* {{citation |title= The Growth of an Idea - The Story of Postum |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=ZawfAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA40-IA1 |newspaper= Michigan Manufacturer and Financial Record |volume= 10 |issue= 20 |page= 40a |date= May 17, 1913 }}
* {{citation |first= Sander L. |last= Gilman |year= 2010 |title= Obesity: The Biography |publisher= Oxford University Press |isbn= 9780191614088 |pages= [https://books.google.com/books?id=SkxOJMp_y3oC&pg=PT91 91–94] }}
* {{citation |author= Postum Cereal Company |year= 1906 |title= This journey through the pure food factories that make Postum... |location= Battle Creek, Michigan |publisher= Postum Cereal Company |url= http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015071566015 |oclc= 2490956 }}
* {{citation |author= Postum Cereal Company |year= 1920 |title= A trip through Postumville where Postum cereal, Instant Postum, Grape-nuts, Post Toasties, etc., are made |location= Battle Creek, Michigan |publisher= Postum Cereal Company |url= https://archive.org/details/tripthroughpostu00post |oclc= 2787245 }}
* {{citation |editor-first= Minnie Alice |editor-last= Emmons |year= 1916 |title= Good things to eat from Wellville: dainty dishes made with Postum products |location= Battle Creek, Michigan |publisher= Postum Cereal Company |url= http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015071565983 |oclc= 644148837 }}

== External links ==
{{commons category}}
* {{Official website}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080804075034/http://www.posttexas.com/zCWPost.htm A biography of C.W. (Charles William) Post]
* [http://www.oldtimeradiofans.com/old_radio_commercials/Postum.mp3 Vintage Postum radio advertisements]

{{Post Holdings}}
{{coffee|nocat=1}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Products introduced in 1895]]
[[Category:Drink brands]]
[[Category:Coffee substitutes]]
[[Category:Post Consumer Brands brands]]
[[Category:Cuisine of Utah]]
[[Category:Hot drinks]]