Instant coffee was invented and patented by a Frenchman named Alphonse Allais in 1881. A Kiwi barista accidentally created the 'flat white' in 1989, when his skimmed milk cappuccino failed to froth. He declared it 'flat'. The cappuccino was named after the colour of the cloak worn by the Capuchin monks of 17thC Italy. It translates literally as 'little hood'. International Coffee Day.