Orange Order launches King William coffee blend which can be traced back to 17th century Dutch coffee houses where the Glorious Revolution was planned

The coffee, which is registered to the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland, is named King William’s Blend and has been produced by local company Ballentine’s.

David Scott, who is the Orange Order’s services and outreach manager, believes that the product is as much about educating people as it is about making sales.

He said: “We wanted something unique, something marketable and something that ties in with the museum. The most important thing is to try and educate people, that’s why each set comes with a little card which explains the story behind the coffee’s origins.

"It’s another way of trying to get our people to think about the legacy, the history.”

Museum curator Jonathan Mattison said: “Around 1685, a lot of those supporters of William – thinkers, writers, politicians, ex-soldiers, who were exiled under James II’s regime – they found a home in places like Amsterdam.

“It was in coffee shops like Croom Elbow that the architects of the Glorious Revolution sat, they made plans.

"I can neither confirm or deny whether William himself would have drank coffee in Croom Elbow. It was probably more likely that representatives of his court drank coffee there and planned their strategies.

“The launch of a massive propaganda exercise before William actually landed would have been hatched over a cup of coffee.

On the King William’s Blend coffee, David said: “Michael Ballentine was able to source four beans of the period. It’s a strong coffee which would be of that time.”

Jonathan added: “The Dutch coffee shops were hotbeds of political intrigue and discussion. Coffee inspired thoughts of liberty.”

The coffee is sold as part of a gift box which also includes a mug and a card explaining the story behind the coffee. It retails at £20 and can be purchased at Schomberg House or online at www.goli.org.uk/shop. It went on sale last Friday and already orders have been placed in the UK and Canada.

David hopes the mug can be a conversation starter and create a better understanding of Orange culture: “You can take the mug into work, it's not emblazoned or in your face, it’s not screaming ‘King William’ at you – it’s smart, it’s sophisticated, it’s a conversational point.

"You can tell people about the origins of the coffee thanks to the card, and a little of the history of the Institution.”

The card inside the gift box reads: “This unique blend should inspire thoughts of Liberty! As you sit back and enjoy its flavour you will be transported back to the coffee shops of Seventeenth Century Amsterdam, and to Croom Elbow in particular.

"Amidst the swirling aroma of coffee, some of the key architects of the Glorious Revolution met to discuss their plans.”

King William of Orange gave the Orange Order its name having overthrown King James, most famously defeating him at the Battle of the Boyne on July 12, 1690.