I started after college and my relationship with coffee has been intermittent and can't recall the last time I had a sip but I do appreciate the aroma.    

I came from drinking good Irish/English Breakfast Tea.  I was working in an office at 17 and would attempt to run hot water thru the coffee machine to get my cup of tea.  (no kettle)  My tea invariably tasted like coffee anyways so I eventually just made the leap.

In high school, probably around age 15. I haven't missed too many days since then

Every day is National Coffee Day in this office. I started when I was 17 and a sheet metal worker in SSF, we started at 6am and if it was 50 degrees outside, it was 30 degrees inside the shop; the sheet metal acted like a cooler/heater that intensified the outside temperature. Mornings were cold!

What! Here I am without my coffee!!!

Be right back.

I first taste of coffee was, a decade minus one year of age, at Grandma's house. So many years later I realize Grandparents are not obligated to obey the rules.

When I was about 9, my grandma made it the old fashioned way using a percolator on the stove. Smelled good, tasted great. I used to take some of her homemade cookies, break them up in the coffee mug, add some sugar to taste plus cream and made a type of cereal. Never looked at it as coffee

College days especially during exams.  Still drinking . . .  coffee.

probably in middle school - I needed the coffee to dunk my glazed donuts- that was the real treat

I was 4-yup! I grew up in a family where there was always a pot on.

     Mid 20's when I met the lady who would become my wife.  She offered it to me, I hated coffee, but I would have drank anything she handed to me.  We have been together 30 years; I drink coffee every day.

Can't start the day without coffee.

Sorry. I can't remember that far back. Is there anything else to drink besides coffee???

I was about 4 when I started begging my Grandmother for coffee when my mom would drop me off.  She would pour me a cup of milk and put just enough coffee in it to turn the milk tan.  Now I put just enough milk in my coffee to turn it creamy looking.  Like you I was in college at about 18, but I was drinking coffee to stay awake.  I had a full class schedule and TWO jobs. (no student loans).  And I have a cup at my desk right now.

Never drank it when I was young, but my youngest son developed a coffee drinking obsession when he was in the seminary and during a few of his breaks he got me hooked on the stuff.

Now we all seem to drink much more than the average person here.  Making up for all the years we did not drink it.

I started in my early 20s. A girlfriend and I would go out for breakfast at the local pancake house. She's the one that introduced me to coffee. My parents didn't drink it.

I started drinking coffee at a very young age as it gave me personal time with my mother.  We would have coffee and talk.  She drank her coffee with cream and sugar.  Then she stopped adding sugar so I stopped adding sugar.  One day she started drinking her coffee black.  I complained and said Mom, are we now going to start drinking our coffee black?  I started drinking my coffee black that day and have ever since.

Double points today with the Coffee Bean rewards club!!!

I started drinking it a few years ago.  Tried it many, many years ago but back then I needed cream and sugar in it and thought that was too much of a change to the drink.  Now I drink it black.  Before that, I was drinking teas and blended drinks at the Coffee Bean.  Started drinking that in 2002 for much the same reason as you.  The company I worked at was in the same industrial park as the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf corporate HQ and roasting facility.  We'd go every morning.

A few jobs later, I started going to smoke breaks with the guys (but didn't smoke) to be sociable (plus, why should they get an extra break because of a bad habit).  Candy cigarrettes came in handy, LOL!

Carol Williams I started drinking coffee at my Grandparents home. My Grandmother made the best coffee. Nothing comes close today.

I started drinking coffee when I was 15-ish.  I gave up coffee on 8/28/2016. It's been one month since I've had the Joe.

My parents were big coffee drinkers having come from Europe.  I started in college, and I love it still.  Both Ron and I enjoy it.  A

Just after I started drinking Bushmills!

I started drinking it when I was in high school. Still need it in the morning to start my day!

When I was a toddler and was told it would stunt my growth; 6'2" and 220 pounds later it is not working!

As a child.  Every morning my mother would wake us up with a cup of coffee milk in bed.

Can't say I'm a coffee freak but I guess around 16ish every once in awhile. My friend used to drink it during the winter months & I started at that time also. Then it was pretty much in the morning at work when I started working full time. 

Let's just say a long time ....

I do get my dog a 'pupachino' every once in awhile.

I stated very early with double Boston and graduated to straight black by the eighth grade!

4am daily

Happy National Coffee Day!

Carol Williams - well, I am a 'tea' drinker! And at times I do drink coffee, too.

In college.  I loved it from the start.

I don't drink coffee. In fact I rarely have caffeine. If I do I prefer ice tea. 

I was about 14. Loved it and love it now.

Yeah for NCD!

I was 12

I started drinking coffee when I started working an office job, too.  I drink it to get by...

I did not start drinking coffee until I worked night shifts while being a supply chain manager at FedEx.

No idea, probably when I was in college back in the 60's...you do the math!

Started at 13 with cream and sugar then segued into coffee only unless it is New Orleans style with chicory.

I remember drinking coffee as a little kid; my parents put a lot of milk in it. Drank it for too many years to count, then gave it up for tea (also with a lot of milk). Coffee these days makes me jumpy so I try to stay away from it except for maybe after a wonderful lunch.

Originally, I didn't like the taste of black coffee as a teenager, and just figured it was an 'acquired' taste - then cream and sugar hit - wowza!!  And today I'm lovin' all coffee from Mocha Swirl to Pumpkin Spice (seasonal) to Guatemalan Carol Williams.  And loved reading everyone's replies below! 

My parents didn't allow us to drink coffee when we were young, so I started late, sometime in my 20s and still not a daily drinker.

I drink coffee, maybe one or two cups a day in the morning.  How did I start?  Well, my Mother had died and I went to my next door neighbor's house to tell her about the sad news.  She didn't know what to do since it was so unexpected, so she offered me a cup of coffee. I said "Okay." and drank it while sitting in my neighbor's house numb.  I was 15.  Glad it wasn't a shot of whiskey!!  

I am a tea drinker. Started drinking tea in college. Never learned to like coffee.

In college! Still need a cup every morning!

Well 6 am this morning or when I was 16 years old

I was in the military.  I hated coffee but I was freezing one morning outside on a tank in the field in the middle of nowhere.  The only thing hot to drink was coffee.  EVERYONE had to drink it the way the Command Seargent Major drank it ---brewed through what looked like a giant dirty sock and burnt to a crisp till the inside of the big coffee urn had a layer of sludge.  I can't remember how much sugar I scrounged up to make it tolerable.

Now I enjoy a cup of coffee most mornings....I gave it up once for about 4 months but I saw the light and came back...

I think I was in my early 20's and teaching.... I should have had a nip of anisette with it during that time...