 Instant coffee was also used in reserve rations and trench rations.During World War II, the U.S. military again relied on Washington, but this time on an equal footing with the other major instant coffee brands that had emerged in the interwar period, most notably Nescafé, as well as the new companies formed to meet a renewed military demand.The G. Washington Coffee Refining Company was purchased by American Home Products in 1943, and George Washington retired.