Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(US) coffee; thus blond joe, coffee with cream.

1911		Osgar und Adolf [comic strip] in Tacoma Times 27 Feb. 4: Diss moosik box shoult make you der orders plain, Adolf. For instance ven id plays ‘Old Black Joe’ id means coffee mitoudt cream.
1927		Danville (VA) Bee 27 May 3/1: The U.S. Navy has a language or a ‘slanguage’ all its own. For instance [...] coffee is ‘joe.’.
1931		Irwin Amer. Tramp and Und. Sl. 110: Joe. –Coffee. Probably a contraction of ‘ jamoke.’.
1944		H. Hunt East of Farewell 5: Bring Ensign Maxon a cuppa joe.
1955		B. Schulberg On the Waterfront (1964) 93: Le’s go down get some more joe.
1957		Morn. Call (Allentown, PA) 24 Feb. 17/2: Waitresses [...] probably wouldn’t understand the ‘blond Joe’ which old timers used to ask for coffee with cream.
1965		H. Rhodes Chosen Few (1966) 107: I put cream and sugar in th’ joe.
1971–2		C. Shafer ‘Catheads [...] and Cho-Cho Sticks’ in Abernethy Bounty of Texas (1990) 208: jo, n. – coffee.
1988		D. Woodrell Muscle for the Wing 53: Shade walked over to the coffeepots and helped himself to a cup. He then returned to his stool and blew on the joe.
1990		Eble Campus Sl. Nov.
2000		Arizona Republican 23 Jan. A2: As Mayrene poured with a practiced hand, up to the brim, you smiled at the coffee shop slang and breathed in the friendly aroma of fresh-brewed. Cuppa joe. Black.
2004		E. Weiner Drop Dead, My Lovely (2005) 231: She blew across the top of her joe.
2010		(con. 1973) C. Stella Johnny Porno 80: I’ll buy you a cup of joe.
2019		S.M. Jones Lives Laid Away [ebook] ‘Coffee, too, baby?’ Lady B said, grinning. ‘Cup of joe be nice’.