These two Raley’s O-N-E Market locations are rebranding and reformulating their on-site coffee service programs to highlight a new partnership with DRINK COFFEE DO STUFF. The partnership is expected to evolve over time but will start with the two locations serving our coffee in their cafés, including all espresso drinks as well as drip offerings. The cafes will serve our best-selling Hot Shot Espresso blend for all espresso-based beverages, and the popular Bark At The Moon dark roast, Party Wave medium roast, and Apres Decaf will be on drip. Can we get a hell yeah?!
We could not be more stoked to partner with Raley’s. We feel like there is substantial synergy between the brands, and it only makes sense to work together. As we are all about providing extraordinary coffee as a fuel source for an active lifestyle, and these markets are the place to shop for extraordinary products. We see these new installations as DRINK COFFEE DO STUFF satellite locations, and we are just as committed to their quality and success. We’d like to welcome everyone into the two new locations to get a cup of our coffee!
“We are excited to bring our new partnership with DRINK COFFEE DO STUFF to life at our Raley’s O-N-E Markets in Truckee and Reno,” said Kerri Eto, Raley’s food service category manager. “We strive to work with local suppliers whenever possible, and DRINK COFFEE DO STUFF roasts their coffee just a few steps from our Truckee store. You can almost taste the passion and locality in each sip, and we look forward to serving such a high-quality product to our customers at our in-store cafés.”
In addition, these two Raley’s O-N-E Market locations will be carrying our whole bean coffee, canned cold brew, as well as select merchandise available for purchase.
As of today, this new partnership is live at the Raley’s O-N-E Market at 18144 Wedge Parkway in Reno (directions here), and will be live at the 10001 Soaring Way location in Truckee at the end of the month (directions here).
About Raley’s:
Raley’s is a privately-owned and family-operated customer experience grocery company headquartered in West Sacramento, CA. Raley’s stores are the destination for the best fresh products, affordable offerings and personalized service. The company’s commitment to infusing life with health and happiness by changing the way the world eats, one plate at a time, has made it a trusted source for food, nutrition, and wellness. Raley’s strives to enhance transparency and education in the food system in order to help customers make more informed, healthy food choices. Raley’s operates 124 stores under six banners: Raley’s, Bel Air Markets, Nob Hill Foods, Raley’s O-N-E Market, Food Source and Market 5-ONE-5. Making healthier offerings accessible to everyone, Raley’s has expanded beyond the store to operate grocery curbside pick-up and delivery in their nearby communities.]]>To celebrate the first day of fall, we developed a specialty latte with butter, honey, and plenty of cinnamon. We call it the Cobbler Latte. If you have an at-home espresso maker and Coffee Shop Espresso on hand, this is a drink you can easily make at home with ingredients found in your pantry. Perfect to impress friends at an upcoming fall gathering or just to improve your morning hygge game, we guarantee this drink will be your new go-to.
If you end up making it, make sure to tag us on Instagram @drinkcoffee_dostuff so we can see. And stay tuned for our new fall drink menu dropping at our Incline cafe very soon!
You'll need:
How to make:
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In 2021, Tahoe Dive Center owner Matt Meunier and Clean Up the Lake founder Colin West plan to spend four months scuba diving around the 72 mile perimeter of Lake Tahoe to pick up garbage — an undertaking that will be arguably the biggest cleanup in Tahoe’s history. While this historic clean up was initially slated to take part this summer, a little something called COVID-19 happened and derailed their timeline... but not their mission.
We recently sat down with Colin to learn more about how Clean Up The Lake has pivoted in recent months, and how to get involved:
Obviously COVID-19 has affected virtually every industry and movement. Can you tell us how Clean Up The Lake has had to pivot these past few months? What are some unexpected "silver linings" coming out of this?
Precautionary measures are currently being taken all across the supply chain, from seed to cup. In recent weeks, new health and safety measures have been put in place to protect workers, so coffees can continue to be picked and processed. The images seen here, captured on a cell phone, demonstrate the hand-washing stations that have been set up throughout the region, the physical distancing of workers, and the use of gloves and masks where possible.
Rwanda Abakundakawa is a certified Fair Trade and Organic coffee and part of a larger cooperative powered by 30,000 Rwandan coffee farmers. Abakundakawa cooperative farmers hand-pick ripe cherries on the volcanic slopes of Rwanda's mountains Gakenke district. The area's distinct micro-climate, high elevation and rich volcanic soils help produce coffee with balanced sweet, floral and fruit-forward notes in the cup. Abakundakawa has grown rapidly, adding a second washing station and expanding its membership from 180 to nearly 2,000 coffee growers since its founding in 2004.
Abakundakawa is a central economic and organizing institution that builds local infrastructure and pays dividends to its members. Co-op leaders, who are democratically elected, implement community projects like supplying fresh water to a local hospital. Abakundakawa also provides its members with health insurance and has partnered with an NGO to give all its members dairy cows, making strides towards improving food security in the region.
Abakundakawa has two prominent women's organizations, Dudingekawa and Abanyameraka, demonstrating the co-op's focus on improving the livelihoods of women in the community, as the women have displayed the tendency to consistently invest their earnings in educating children and supporting those in need. To buy coffee from Abakundakawa is to purchase world-class beans while strengthening Rwanda's economic and social fabric. Shop Rwanda Abakundakawa here.
]]>Thank you all for your devoted support to our company over the past two years. It’s been an absolute pleasure roasting for you and now in the face of uncertain times we are proud to continue serving you to the best of our abilities. As the global COVID-19 situation escalates, we are committed to doing our part in mitigating the growing health threat. To do so, we are taking extreme caution in both our Truckee roastery and Incline Village cafe to ensure the safety and well-being of our staff and customers alike.
While the events we’re experiencing are unprecedented, we will continue to keep the lights on at our Incline Cafe as a beacon of hope that this time is temporary, although we are currently open with limited hours from 7 AM-1 PM everyday with curbside ordering only. We have a clearly marked ordering window and pick-up window — please don't come inside. You can expect warm smiles and a whole latte love from us, but we are adhering to the government recommended to-go model and serving all coffees, pastries and toasts in to-go containers at our pick-up window. We wear gloves that are changed in between each customer, disinfect hourly, and request all customers remain six feet apart while waiting in line outside.
Also, you may notice our coffee bags look a little different. Due to factory closures overseas, we have had to find a temporary solution for our packaging. All our temporary bags are still 100% recyclable and you can count on the same quality of coffee inside as you’ve been enjoying for years!
If you are unable to visit us at our Incline Village location or any of our other partners across Northern California, we are so grateful for supporting DRINK COFFEE DO STUFF at a grocery store near you or online. Bonus: we're currently offering 20% off all online orders (automatically applied at check-out), to keep you caffeinated as you hunker down at home. Even better, our recurring subscriptions have been marked down to 20% — when you sign up for a subscription between now and May 15, you'll save 20% on all future orders. Now that's a hell yeah moment!
We'll keep you posted as things progress. We will all weather this storm together. Thank you so much for the support!
Nick Visconti and the whole DCDS team
Photo: Kyle Smaine
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Since our launch in 2017, we're continuously blown away by the support of our community, customers, friends and family. We could NOT do this without you. And on that note, we have a small favor to ask...
We've entered the FedEx Small Business Grant Contest for a shot to win a $50k grant and $7.5k in FedEx services! This would give us an infusion of cashflow that would allow us to continue to grow, self-fund and further develop our wholesale business throughout NorCal and Nevada. It would help us open a second cafe in Tahoe, all of which, leads to hiring more employees where more full-time, non-seasonal jobs are needed.
Would you take a second and vote for us? You can vote once a day up until March 8! As always, thank you for the support.
Stay caffeinated,
Nick Visconti, Brad Farmer, Laura Lawson Visconti & the rest of the DCDS Crew
]]>An agricultural product grown within the 30° equatorial belt around the globe, coffee is seasonal. Our Latin American coffees land later in the spring and early summer, then shortly after, fresh African coffees make their debut. We receive green coffee samples from independent farms, co-ops and importers throughout the year, which we test roast on our SF-1 San Franciscan sample roaster and then integrate into our weekly quality control cuppings. When cupping a new coffee, we are looking to accomplish a few things: initially, we want to determine if the coffee would make a good blend component or a good single origin, and we are always looking to continually refine our palette so it is helpful to taste new coffees regularly. We work with several specialty coffee importers we've established longstanding relationships with — we tend to source coffees from these same importers as we trust their sourcing methods, and it's helpful to keep in touch throughout the year as we seek specific kinds of coffees to fulfill specific purposes.
We love working with our friends Michael and Emily McIntyre of Catalyst Trade, based part-time in Ethiopia and part-time in Portland, Oregon (fun fact: Nick learned to roast years ago under Michael's Q grade tutelage!). Michael and Emily are our "boots on the ground" in Ethiopia — here are their (paraphrased) words about this beautiful African coffee:
Coffees in Guji are grown under shade trees that include enset (false banana), bamboo, avocado and wanza (an indigenous African tree that grows near water sources and is used for fuel, tools, and furniture, with its leaves being used to fertilize crops). Rather than being grown on single-producer estates, coffee in the Guji Zone is purchased from nearby farmers who pick from their back yards, where coffee flourishes wild as a cash crop among mangos and bananas. As such, farm size is small: generally .5 hectare up to 2 hectares, which results in a typical multi-generational family producing from one to three (60 kilo) bags of coffee. Unlike in many other coffee origin countries, producers do not hire a mix of transient and year-round workers to pick cherries. Instead, coffee farmers pick their own crops, aided by family members. Washing stations often pay a premium to the producer for selling ripe cherries only.
Aklilu Kassa owns a number of coffee washing stations in Kellenso Mekonissa in the Oromia Region in West Guji, where this beautiful coffee lot was processed. The washing station is accessible over black gravel roads that run milky red with the heavy rains. This washing station is sizable, and possesses one of the most beautiful, spacious warehouses to hold milled coffee that we’ve ever seen. An office for the manager has a map that details Aklilu’s various washing stations, as well as a list of the smallholder producers who bring their cherries here for processing and an outline of the C.A.F.E. Practices certification that Mekonissa earned — this includes gender equity training and no child labor. Natural processed coffee is lovingly placed on the raised beds and delicately embraced by the sun under mesh shades for controlled drying. Mekonissa is twenty years old and sits on 2.5 hectares of land. The rainy season in this part of Guji lasts approximately from June to October, and then the harvest begins and the washing station swings into movement and song while 170 seasonal workers join the 12 full time employees to process coffees.
Aklilu is a fourth-generation coffee professional in Ethiopia for whom coffee isn't just an afterthought. His grandfather received a grant of 500 hectares in Guji decades ago, during the reign of His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie. Eight wives and countless children resulted in that land being split, and split again down family lines. Aklilu's father made history in Guji by founding the very first privately-owned washing station in the area, after years working as a cherry collections agent. This first washing station was established in 1995 (1987 by the Ethiopian calendar) and went by the name of Kassa Chirressa. Aklilu, then 28, went to work for his father, who still operates the mill.
"At that time, Guji, along with Yirgacheffe, Kochere, and dozens of other now-distinct districst, were known as Sidama coffee," remembers Aklilu. "All my brothers and sisters worked at the washing station with me." Every year new challenges appeared with metronomic regularity: without roads, the workers had to resort to transporting coffee on the backs of mules. Over 4-5 years, the siblings and the staff at Kassa Chirressa and Aklilu's first washing station, Hegar Mariam, physically brought rocks from various parts of Guji to build their own road, and eventually were able to bring trucks in to the remote washing stations to transport the cherries to ECX warehouses without risking the coffee's integrity.
It's truly remarkable to think about all the hands (and the history!) that play a part in growing, processing, producing and shipping green coffee before we receive it months later. Once the coffee lands in our Truckee warehouse, it's up to us to carefully roast and package the coffee in such a way that honors and respects the endless tiers of tradition and sweat equity poured into each and every coffee seed. And perhaps most importantly — it's up to you! Each time you choose a single origin coffee like Ethiopia Sidama, as the final step in an incredibly long supply chain, you are supporting Ethiopian farmers and independent roasters.
Plus, it's just a damn delicious cup of coffee.
]]>The mouth-watering natural processed Ethiopia Sidama is the latest to hit our coffee menu. People say coffee snob like it's a bad thing but we beg to differ — we know you appreciate excellence, decadent flavor and the craft behind roasting which is why you'll be blown away by our newest addition to the roster, which took home a bronze medal at this year's Golden Bean Awards! Ethiopia Sidama's flavor notes are chocolate ganache and blackberry jam, with a full-bodied, juicy mouthfeel, and berry-forward aroma. Buy now.
Don't miss it — our 2019 Good Food Award Winning Ethiopia Guji is back! This honey-processed coffee is a fruit bomb with decadent tasting notes of honey and tropical fruit, paying homage to the rich culture of the Kellenso Mekonissa village. This is an exclusive microlot, so don't wait! Buy now.
Earlier this year, our friend and customer Kyle Hribar brought a bag of the Guji, along with his everyday staple Bark at the Moon to the iconic Mt. Whitney for some pre-wedding caffeination, before saying 'I do' to his boo, Sarah, at Mammoth's snowy Twin Lakes. Yep, it was as wild as it sounds. Today, we're sitting down with Kyle to hear more about his adventures in the mountains and beyond, what inspired this caffeinated mountainous elopement, and what's next for these adrenaline junkies.
Can you tell us a little about your background in the outdoors: where are you based out of, and what are your favorite "do stuff" activities?
Even though we did not cross paths till later on in life, Sarah and I both grew up with families that loved the great outdoors and endless the possibilities this earths landscapes had to offer. Starting with camping in remote locations, learning how to build camp and survive off the land for weeks if needed. Both of our families had the need for speed and the mandatory dopamine dump of adrenaline that everyone knows us for. Our dads both heavily influenced on motorsports and racing was passed down to us both through dirtbikes, cars, bicycles, skiing and anything we could make fly down a hill. We are currently based out of South San Jose at the base of the Santa Cruz Mountains while Sarah finishes off her Digital Marketing/Business Degree at San Jose State. Living down here in these mountains we still get most of the advantages of the mountain life where are roots are from, except for snowboarding has been replaced by surfing. Our favorites here are the limitless mountain bike/trail running trails, the coastal road bike rides, street skating in downtown, windy rally car roads, remote dirtbike tracks and trails, and the weekend worthy backpacking adventures.
You recently got hitched (!) — that sounds like the best adventure of all! How did you lovebirds do it?
Hell yeah! We are still beyond stoked on getting married; we’ve been talking about it for a while and ultimately knew it would happen one day. It all started with going to dinner at one of our local farm to fork spots with our good friend Oliver who also happens to be an ordained minister. He brought up the idea mid meal of him performing the ceremony for us one day, we looked at each other and decided right then and there to seal the deal. We spent the rest of the dinner brainstorming and coming up with the ultimate and unique wedding that fit us. We decided on the most beautiful place we have been which also played the biggest pivotal moment of our relationship... Alabama Hills and Mammoth Lakes. For the few people that we know that have been able to experience this place know how magical and unique it really is. The plan was for the wedding to be just us two, Oliver, one random witness and Mother Nature, and we did just that. No family was invited but we let them know a couple weeks before we set off on our adventure. The best part was shooting the whole wedding ourselves, with only our DSLR, a couple batteries, our trusty tripod and a million envisions of how our photos would wow our family and friends. Even though we took photos all around Alabama Hills, Mt. Whitney and Mammoth Lakes, the actual ceremony took place on the frozen Twin Lakes located on the backside of Mammoth Mountain. A couple hours of trenching a path and compacting out a proper stage we were ready and willing. As people looked on and wondered what we were doing they soon realized when Sarah put on her dress. They all watched from a distance as we began, the ceremony was perfect and a dream come true. There were laughs then some crying, a little bit of shivering from the gust of random wind (which was probably the earth giving us a high five) some kissing and then finally the jumping for joy and smiles beyond belief. We packed up our gear and proceeded to head back to the car.
Tell us about your recent adventures in the Alabama Hills and Mammoth area. Did you camp? Where did you go?
If you've never been to Alabama Hills or Mt. Whitney we highly recommend putting it on your bucket list! With a car full of gear, supplies, wedding attire and a couple bags of Ethiopia Guji to get us through the cold winter mornings, we set off on our journey. We made a couple pit stops on the way to explore sites we saw off the road, searched for some natural hot springs and discovered a forest of petrified ancient trees. Upon arriving at Alabama Hills, we set out to find the perfect place to set up camp and start shooting some photos. The weather was perfect! We almost got stuck in a wash trying to cross in our car but with a little guidance from Sarah and trusty Subaru traction, we managed to cross. As night fell, we went on a hike to find what this place holds after the sun goes down. With the Milky Way prominent overhead and Mt. Whitney silhouetted in the near distance, we were amazed. The next stop was Mammoth Lakes in search of the ultimate stoke and spot for our adventure. First things first, as any human that loves getting rad, we threw on our snow gear, grabbed our boards and headed to the gondola for a must needed day of shredding. We explored around the town and surrounding areas — we were somewhat limited due to the massive amounts of snow on the roads still from the epic winter season. Breweries were visited and enjoyed, Napoletana Pizza was our staple for the week, and of course a nice cup of Guji or Bark at the Moon kicked off and fueled our long fun-filled days.
What are some outdoor essentials you ALWAYS keep in your car?
Most people always ask what we store in the box on top of our car and now they will know why we never take it off. A must for us is we each have a running bag that has a pair of trail running shoes, shorts, a tank top, socks, undies and a towel. You never know what will happen or if you just get the urge to pull off the road and go explore. We also carry two bags of tools, one specifically full of bike tools and parts just in case we break something on a ride, and the other bag is full of wrenches, bit drivers, nuts and bolts, some cutting tools, and a full tire repair kit with a pump for any kind of mishap that may happen. In the trunk we keep water, a blanket, non-perishable food and with my medical background, a full hospital grade first aid kit. And yes, there are stitch kits, hemostats and things to make splints. The two of us and our friends are all adrenaline junkies and someone is always bound to crash at some point. Kind of like that saying, “If you’re not crashing or going down at the things you do, are you really pushing the limitations of your abilities and life?”
How do you typically brew coffee on the trail?
At home we have a complete coffee station that we've built up. Typically we will measure out and grind the beans to correct consistency of the method that we will brew out on the trail, then put the grounds into one of our vaccusealed containers so it stays fresh all week or weekend. Our normal method is our Moka Pot that has been handed down to us from Sarah's Grandfather, who used it in the 1950’s during his service in the military. It still works as good as it did back when he initially bought it! We carry a little gas canister with the tiny screw on regulator valve to boil the water inside so it is able to pass through and infuse with the coffee grounds. If we are camping in a cabin where we can store breakable items, we always bring our Chemex — nothing beats that clean pure flavor. Our go to coffee has to be Bark at the Moon; the blend just tastes so good and somewhat earthy. It is fitting for being out in nature and just enjoying everything around us.
What's next on the adventure bucket list?
Since we already got the biggest bucket list item of getting married checked off, after Sarah's graduation this Fall we are packing up and coming back to Tahoe. This has been our dream to always move back into the mountains at elevation, where we can truly live out our adventurous lifestyle. Snowmobiles and new dirtbikes will be purchased for those days we want to go deep into the wild and get lost in a good way. New trails will be discovered and built, ideas will come to life and the ideal happiness will ensue. In the meantime, we shall be soaking up the rays at The Hook trying to dodge the kooks and kelp beds on those long breaking rights, and flying through the Santa Cruz Mountains on our bikes. The world most definitely is our playground.
Craving African coffee? Shop our award-winning Ethiopia Guji single origin coffee here.
]]>Meet the team:
Can you describe what your role is at DRINK COFFEE DO STUFF?
My number priority is to support my team. I couldn’t be more proud of our crew — while they're committed to my dreams for DCDS, I am committed to theirs: personal and professional.
How long have you lived in Tahoe?
On and off my whole life… consecutively for 15 years.
What's your current favorite coffee on the DCDS menu? How do you like to brew it?
Admittedly, I LOVE our Hell Yeah! Blend. It’s our best-seller and my personal favorite, all for good reason. It's phenomenal no matter how it's brewed.
What kind of "stuff" are you getting after lately on your days off?
Like our coffees, all my activities are seasonal: Winter, snowboarding; Spring, skateboarding; Summer, trail running; Fall, traveling.
What kind of adult beverage do you like drinking after?
Beer.
Stoked for winter, or missing summer?
Always both.
Can you describe what your role is at DRINK COFFEE DO STUFF?
As the Co-Founder of DCDS, I’ve pretty much helped with every aspect of the business over our first two years. As the business continues to grow, I’m focusing more on strategic marketing and business development. That being said, I will always jump back into scooping beans and helping out wherever we need it.
What's your current favorite coffee on the DCDS menu? How do you like to brew it?
I've been brewing a Chemex of our Peru Rutas Del Inca every morning.
What kind of "stuff" are you getting after lately on your days off?
I’ve been really into surfing, mountain biking, hiking and, of course, anything lake or river related in the summer. Winter is all about the snowboarding.
What kind of adult beverage do you like drinking after?
I truly mix it up. I like a nice bourbon whiskey when sipping, usually a vodka soda if I’m doing a long haul drinking mission and a Sunday wouldn't be a Sunday without a mimosa or two… or three.
Stoked for winter, or missing summer?
If it were a 50/50 proposition, I’d be hyped on both but with the long winters, I end up missing summer.
Can you describe what your role is at DRINK COFFEE DO STUFF?
Moral support. When Nick and I were on our honeymoon, he brought along a coffee manual that he studied like his life depended on it. Even while he was snowboarding professionally, he was talking about owning and operating his own coffee roastery in Truckee someday. After years of dreaming and co-laboring, we launched the brand together in December 2017. I'm chiefly responsible for our storytelling and content creation: working with brand partners on photoshoots, developing email campaigns, catching stray typos, and running our social media. I love helping at events and meeting our amazing customers face-to-face!
How long have you lived in Tahoe?
A little over four years. It's definitely home!
What's your current favorite coffee on the DCDS menu? How do you like to brew it?
I gotta admit, Hell Yeah! is my first love. But we have a new single origin coming down the pipeline that is the best coffee I've ever tasted. I can't wait until we're able to release!
What kind of "stuff" are you getting after lately on your days off?
Trail running has occupied a lot of my time this summer! I'm hoping to go backpacking in Desolation Wilderness before it gets too cold, and also have a few fun trips planned this fall.
What kind of adult beverage do you like drinking after?
IPAs and Saisons are my love language.
Stoked for winter, or missing summer?
Actually, just pumped that it's fall. It's such a beautiful time of year. Each season in Tahoe has its perks, and they're all pretty magical in their own way.
Can you describe what your role is at DRINK COFFEE DO STUFF?
My role as Marketing Manager at DCDS consists of managing e-commerce, GTM strategy, joining the team at events and dabbling with graphic design. Currently looking forward to helping create our new apparel line that we will be launching for Fall 2019.
How long have you lived in Tahoe?
I have been living, working and playing in Tahoe for the last five and a half years. I was born and raised in Maine, so I was destined to make my home somewhere in the mountains.
What's your current favorite coffee on the DCDS menu? How do you like to brew it?
I am currently enjoying our Rwanda brewed up in my pour over and favorite mug. I also am always loving Hell Yeah! in my French Press for weekends in the woods, traveling and fuel on the go!
What kind of "stuff" are you getting after lately on your days off?
“Stuff” for me includes getting out on my mountain bike and hiking with my dog as much as possible between freelancing for Truckee Brewing Company and the High Fives Foundation, both also based in Truckee. I am also always on the hunt to find my new favorite alpine lake, hot spring or camping spot in the desert. Next up: Southern Utah for camping in the van, riding trails way out of my league, checking some National Parks off my list and watching the pros get sendy at Red Bull Rampage.
What kind of adult beverage do you like drinking after?
Beer, always. Hazy IPA’s or Kettle Sours are usually my go-to’s and are always most enjoyable when shared with friends (or after a ride).
Stoked for winter, or missing summer?
Can I be stoked for fall instead? Summer in Tahoe may be my favorite, but I’m soaking up this cooler and slightly rainy weather on the trails. But I’ve got to say... when it comes down to it, it’s hard to complain about any season when you are living in Tahoe.
Can you describe what your role is at DRINK COFFEE DO STUFF?
I roast the coffee and drink the coffee. Every week I cup the coffees for quality control and get to sample new coffees. There's some heavy lifting, but I get to turn up the music and get in the zone. Basically I have the best job here.
How long have you lived in Tahoe?
I flew into Tahoe right at the start of winter 2016... and winter 2016 gave me quite a welcome.
What's your current favorite coffee on the DCDS menu? How do you like to brew it?
Ever since we got our espresso machine at the shop for "research purposes," I've made it a priority to try all our coffees as 'spro. Shantawene is a beautiful shot. Bright, sweet and juicy. Technically this coffee is not on the menu just yet, but keep your eyes peeled.
What kind of "stuff" are you getting after lately on your days off?
I do the outdoor thing, but I've actually been doing a bunch of reading lately. I've been reading a lot of poetry, books about poetry and learning to write some myself. When I need to wiggle, I'll take my dog Max on a hike, go climbing, or ride my bike.
What kind of adult beverage do you like drinking after?
I like a really boozy cocktail. The ones where you mix booze with more booze. A gin martini, Rob Roy, penicillin, or a classic margarita usually hits the spot.
Stoked for winter, or missing summer?
Digging the fall precipitation actually. I love a good cloudy, rainy day. Truly, I love all the seasons. They all have something special to offer.
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Interested in working with us? Read the job description below carefully. If this sounds like you, email jobs@drinkcoffeedostuff.com with an introductory email about yourself, explaining why you think you'd be an excellent candidate for this position, with your resumé attached.
DRINK COFFEE DO STUFF is a specialty coffee company built with the belief that extraordinary coffee leads to extraordinary life. The mantra began in the Swiss Alps in 2012 during founder Nick Visconti’s pro snowboard days and continues today at our Lake Tahoe Headquarters. As specialty coffee grows at elevations similar to that of our roastery, all of our coffees are sourced from the mountains and roasted in the mountains, resulting in unparalleled sweetness only achieved by high altitude roasting.
Seeking:
Independent Contractor: Warehouse Assistant/Service Representative
Reports To: The Warehouse Assistant/Service Representative will report to the Production Manager
Job Overview: This individual will assist with DRINK COFFEE DO STUFF warehouse duties including packaging and packing coffee for delivery Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. In addition, distribution responsibilities will include writing orders, checking-in product, and merchandising multiple coffee brands through Whisha Distribution in the greater Lake Tahoe and Reno region on Monday and Friday. As this is a fast growing brand, there is potential growth within the company for a highly motivated and effective hard worker.
Warehouse Responsibilities and Duties:
Distribution Responsibilities and Duties:
Requirements:
Education level: High School Equivalence — College Experience A Plus
Experience: General work experience of 1 to 2 years would be important. Experience in sales, warehouse work and/or merchandising business would be a significant plus.
Equipment: Must have at least a mid sized enclosed 4 wheel drive vehicle such as wagon, SUV or truck.
Licenses: Must have CA or NV valid drivers license and clean DMV record.
Personal Characteristics:
The right person for this job will have a high level of attention to detail and be excited to achieve goals in a self-paced timely manner and meet hard deadlines.
Good communication skills and outgoing sales oriented personality is key to this position.
Personal hygiene is a must when handling packaged coffee goods.
Physical Abilities:
Must be physically able to lift and move heavy items around warehouse.
Must be physically able to drive a vehicle and deliver products to multiple locations.
]]>The gateway to Black Rock City still has the same gritty casino vibes your grandma remembers, but these days, plenty of rad small businesses are popping up around town with specialty, craft offerings. At last count, Reno has 12 (!) local craft breweries. Our favorites? Revision and 10 Torr. Reno is also taking inspiration from our northern neighbor by transforming "Little Portland" near downtown with establishments such as Pine State Biscuits and Sizzle Pie Pizza popping up in recent years. With a fondness for the PNW ourselves, we can't say we mind.
Planning a visit? Here's how we would spend a day in the Biggest Little City In The World.
Look no further than Reno's first independent, non-gaming hotel conveniently located downtown: Whitney Peak Hotel. Having stayed here multiple times ourselves, Whitney Peak is our favorite hotel in the area, hands down (and we're not just saying that because our coffee is served in the rooms!). Whitney Peak also happens to be home to BaseCamp, the world's tallest outdoor climbing wall. Bonus: Whitney Peak is dog friendly! Need we say more?!
Situated walking distance from Whitney Peak, you can't miss Global Coffee in The Basement, a beautiful collection of shops and artisan businesses hidden behind the old post office, converted into West Elm. Yes — this space is as cool as it sounds! Bonus: you'll find DRINK COFFEE DO STUFF on tap every day. Whether you're looking for a quiet place to work or a spot for your next coffee date, Global dishes up great beverages and a unique ambience.
No ocean needed — on a sunny day, you can find us surfing the Truckee River! Yep, you read that right. There's a few spots you can catch a wave in both Reno and Sparks. The Reno wave is called Hole Three and is downtown at Wingfield Park, just below the Sierra Tap House craft brewery at the Riverwalk. The Sparks wave is at Rock Park, just a short way downstream from the Grand Sierra Resort. This wave is near the Rivers Edge RV Park end of the parking lot, and can generally be accessed all year. Surf's up!
photo: Kenny Good
Whitney Peak also has a legit music venue onsite: Cargo Concert Hall is one of our favorite spots in town to catch a show! Check out their events calendar to see who's coming into town while you're visiting. We really love this venue: it's small enough to feel intimate, but large enough that some pretty big names roll through.
When was the last time you spent time in Reno? What would you add to this list?
]]>Event attendees enjoyed live tunes courtesy of local funk favorite The Sextones, as well as free snacks provided by our friends at Tahoe Trail Bar, free beer from Truckee Brewing Company and free spicy bloodies from Mixxology Inc. (our mouths are still on fire!). Oh, and coffee. We had plenty of that on hand, too!
To our friends, family, customers, community members, and supporters near and far: THANK YOU for the love you've shown our business the past year. We couldn't do this without you! With your help, we are so proud to be Lake Tahoe's specialty coffee roastery. We've got many exciting things brewing down the pipeline, so stay tuned!
]]>2019 has been a busy for DCDS as they have welcomed new grocery partners distributed through Whisha Group. These include Nugget Markets, Raley’s, Bel Air, Safeway and Whole Foods in greater Reno, Tahoe and Sacramento areas. “DCDS is a brand that embodies excitement and you can feel that excitement in every aspect of their company,” says Rocco Brown-Morris, Co-Founder & Director of Business Development for Whisha Distribution. “Their team is enthusiastic, their packaging jumps off the shelf and their altitude roasting is entirely unique. They've made huge strides in just one year and Whisha is proud to be a part of that growth and story."
“In addition they have added new hotel partners including Resort at Squaw Creek (Squaw Valley), Whitney Peak Hotel (Reno), Cedar House Sport Hotel (Truckee), Black Bear Lodge (South Lake Tahoe) and Coachman Hotel (South Lake Tahoe). “We work to support local producers and farmers and that is why we happily carry and serve local Lake Tahoe coffee roaster, DCDS,” says Dena Hunter, Director of Food and Beverage for Resort at Squaw Creek.
Three new cafe partners have also come onboard such as I.V. Coffee Lab (Incline Village), Revive Coffee (South Lake Tahoe) and Global Coffee (Reno). “I.V. Coffee Lab and DCDS is a perfect partnership because we provide fuel for locals and visitors so they can live the Tahoe lifestyle,” says Matt Thralls, owner of I.V. “Tahoe is about community and adventure together. Let’s caffeinate and conquer!”
Check Out The DCDS Dealer Locator
Check Out The DCDS Coffee Collection
On that note, we are incredibly excited to announce our partnership with our friends at Coffee Shop — the East Bay's premiere specialty coffee experience. You may have seen our coffee on tap there and tried a DRINK COFFEE DO STUFF pour over in the past year. With locations throughout the Bay Area in Lafayette, Concord, Walnut Creek, Danville and Alamo, you can now enjoy our brand new Coffee Shop Espresso (the first espresso blend we've ever offered!) at all five locations and get fueled by alpine roasting. Additionally, we are proud to carry Coffee Shop Espresso online and at our grocery partners throughout Northern California!
The Coffee Shop Espresso is a beautiful roast — shots begin with sweet notes of chocolate fudge and candied almond, and finish with a creamy mouthfeel. Perfect alone or with milk! Offering an espresso roast has been at the top of our To Do list since we launched, but it was important to us to be choosy with how and when we did it... and this seemed like the perfect fit. Stay tuned for more exciting announcements with Coffee Shop in the months to come, and make sure to take home the taste of Tahoe next time you visit one of their five Bay Area locations!
Voted Diablo Magazine's Best Coffeehouse in the East Bay in 2016, 2017, and 2018, Coffee Shop is your go-to neighborhood joint, any time, any day. Join us for specialty coffee to pep you up in the morning, organic smoothies, juices and food to fuel your day, and craft beer, wine and cocktails to get your night started! Visit us at one of our five locations in Walnut Creek, Lafayette, Danville, Alamo or Concord.
]]>Nyampinga is a women's coffee cooperative in the Nyaruguru district of Southern Rwanda. The word "Nyampinga" translates to "Beautiful women, inside and out." Over time, these under-resourced women have shown increased dedication toward growing quality coffee and connecting with the international market in order to provide better livelihoods for themselves and their families.
Nyampinga was one of the first cooperatives to enroll in the Sustainable Growers training program in agronomic best practices, market access initiatives, and quality control. The result of the farmer’s hard work and enhanced knowledge of coffee production has been a resounding improvement in cup quality. Nyampinga coffees are among the finest available in all of Rwanda.
Nyampinga operates its own washing station, which processes coffee from farmers all over the area. It serves as a key component of specialty coffee infrastructure, elevating the region’s cup profiles upward. At the coffee washing station the coffee is carefully depulped, fermented, washed, and dried on raised African beds. The members of the cooperative and coffee washing station diligently hand sort the coffees at each step of the way.
Enjoy the full-bodied flavors of cranberry and honey (dessert in a cup!) while you sip on one of our most inspiring coffees of the year, sourced from our friends at Sustainable Harvest. We’re proud to offer a coffee that’s not only 100% women produced, but also roasted by a woman here at DRINK COFFEE DO STUFF! Read more about our production roaster Emily Bax here, and shop Rwanda Nyampinga here.
Photos: Clay Enos
]]>Within the ski and snowboard world Japan has built an impressive reputation. For decades, skiers and film crews have been traveling to Japan for the same reason: the seemingly never-ending supply of deep, light, powder. Year after year, more people travel here and continue to come back with similar tales of snow that never stops, lifts with no lines, and a culture so welcoming and courteous that even the strongest patriots will consider a long term change of locale. All these things and more peaked our interest and motivated our journey to the Land of the Rising Sun.
Ask any skier or snowboarder what their favorite type of skiing is, and you’ll almost unanimously get powder as the answer. I don’t know what it is about sliding down mountains on a blanket of freshly fallen snow that is so uniquely satisfying. Even after 25 years of sliding down slopes I had never bothered to specify why it is so dang fun... whether it is just because a good powder day is a scarce resource, or that it invites excited camaraderie among friends, or the ability to effortlessly float down the mountain no matter the terrain that makes those days in the mountains so cherished. I’ve never felt a reason to define what makes those moments so unique, and sometimes surreal: it's not a question science can answer, just something magical and a little different for each of us. Regardless, the pursuit of powder has been entrancing generations of skiers for decades, almost as though it is the magic pixie dust drawing all the lost boys and girls to Neverland. Japan was our Neverland and after all these years of wishing and dreaming, we were ready to take the leap.
Admittedly, this wasn’t my first time to Japan. My maiden voyage was this same time last year, and the experience was special enough to seduce me into returning to Hokkaido again — perhaps the start of an annual pilgrimage, but it is too early to say for sure. My friend Andy (who was among my travel partners last year) and I led two more of our childhood friends on their first international ski trip.
There is so much information on Japan it can be overwhelming at times. Every trip report or new edit pulls you towards different regions, time frames, and flight itineraries. Both years And and I decided on traveling up to Hokkaido, the northern Island of Japan. Hokkaido typically receives more consistent snow conditions thanks to colder, drier storms that arrive more frequently. Our primary goal was to ski powder every day until our legs couldn’t muster another turn, and hopefully ski some of the lightest and deepest snow we had ever experienced. Hokkaido sounded like the place that could deliver. It certainly helped that Kiroro Resort, the "best ski resort in Japan", was a part of the Powder Alliance and all of us would have three free days of skiing on our Sierra at Tahoe passes from home. When traveling overseas on a 20-something's ski budget, every hack makes a difference.
The main challenge when traveling to Japan is finding lodging. A booming tourism business keeps the prices of lodging going up, and availability continues to drop. Thanks to a friend, we managed to find a lodge in the small village of Akaigawa to call home for the trip. After many years of traveling the world mainly for leisure and halfpipe contests, I have found there are two main ways to travel abroad. The first way is to choose many locations to stay during a trip and travel between them — this way you can physically see more of a country, but you end up spending a substantial amount of time traveling, as well as packing and unpacking along the way. The second is to stay in one place and visit spots that are within a distance that you can easily drive to and from. The beauty of this method is that you spend enough time in one place to really connect and discover the town and community that call it home. This time, we opted for the second travel method. We settled on the small village of Akaigawa, conveniently located 20 minutes from Kiroro, 45 minutes from Niseko, and only 20 minutes from the coastal town of Yoichi. Unknowingly, we also had close proximity to a handful of really fun backcountry zones: zones we likely would never have noticed without spending the extra time in one place and befriending the locals who eventually gave us a little beta on their favorite stashes.
I’ve found that on ski trips, jet lag often becomes an almost beneficial side effect of the long travel days — forcing everyone to wake up before dawn not because of an alarm, but instead our confused biological clocks releasing their drugs. Green tea and coffee from DRINK COFFEE DO STUFF are the only methods of making it to the end of the first few days. Each morning we woke early, checked the snow reports and discussed day's plan over a hot mug. By the end of the trip it became routine, just chatting about where to ski powder that day. It was never a matter of whether or not we would ski powder, just where we would find deeper, less trafficked powder, each day feeling more confident in our predictions. When it snows almost every single day, it becomes hard to want to journey too far from the lift accessed terrain. Thanks to our good friend Cam we knew many secret stashes at the resort: it was just easier to go out and ski 8-12 inches of new snow and hop back on the lift for another lap.
When we were willing to tour, we were always rewarded. Despite so much easy access to the backcountry it felt like we were almost always the only ones out there. Setting first tracks down perfect slopes constantly rewarded with face shot after face shot. Hours passed by cresting one ridge only to see three more behind it: blank canvases waiting to be skied.
Despite heavy, tired legs by the end of the trip, all I wanted to do was tour. Each day we scoured the mountains from the car to spot a rad zone. Once spotted, we would quickly flip around and find a place to park and get our kit together for a nice long walk... never confident that our car would remain in the parking spot without being towed or ticketed. The risk was worth taking for finding new thrills and spots that felt as if we were the only ones who ever sought them out.
Japan rewards those willing to step outside the resort boundaries. More and more people continue to tick Japan off their bucket list, so when you take the next step in discovery and leave the more crowded slopes (still basically empty compared to the states) you find what Japan really has to offer.
This trip wasn’t about creating an edit or a shot list or skiing the biggest lines we could find. This was a group of friends who grew up in California binging on ski movies and online forums out to find a new part of the world, get a taste of Japanese culture, and throw away the responsibilities of growing up even if it only lasted a couple weeks. We all skied some of the deepest and certainly the lightest powder we had ever experienced. We made many new friends, and ate some strange and delicious foods along the way. My buddy Brian Walker pulled out his camera and collected little snippets of magic: a collaborative effort just to create something cool because we wanted to. Thank you for reading and watching, and I hope that our trip to Japan helps inspire you to take a step into the unknown and find somewhere or something new.
]]>Recently, we were proud to partner with Greg's Organics, a CCOF (California Certified Organic Farmer) based just over the hill in Grass Valley, on a really special project facilitated by our friend Ryland West as part of a class project for Sierra Nevada College.
Over the course of a few months, Ryland gathered used coffee grounds from our Truckee facilities, as well as our friends over at I.V. Coffee Lab and a few other partners from around the North Tahoe Region — not an easy (or very clean) task! After several hundred pounds of brown goop had been collected, Ryland loaded the grounds in the back of his truck and made the trek down to Grass Valley to Greg's Organics in Gold Country — an urban farm boasting 7 acres of organic heirloom tomatoes, heirloom squash, Bartlett pears, blackberries, and more, just a stone's throw away from downtown Grass Valley. The donated coffee grounds were incorporated into fertilizer for Greg's tomatoes, yielding a successful harvest. Portions of the bounty were then donated to a local school system to be enjoyed by future generations of coffee roasters and tomato farmers!
]]>I started working with Nick in May of last year working as a roasting apprentice; coming in about once a week to learn how to operate both the sample roaster and production roaster. A lot of the time we spent cupping coffee from the menu as well as looking for new offerings from samples. This quickly evolved into my current role, roasting the bulk of the coffee each week and continuing to refine my cupping skills. It's been a great experience and my workload has grown exponentially, a testament to the awesome that is this coffee and brand.
I’ve worked in cafes as a barista or in production on and off since I was old enough to get a workers permit. In college, I managed a modest roasting operation in a shed behind a community coffee shop in South City Saint Louis. It wasn’t until a few years ago when I trained as a barista for a specialty roasting company, also in Saint Louis, that I really began to hone my coffee skills. I was trained by competition baristas and two seriously skilled roasters. At that point I had worked in coffee for a long time, but was beginning to realize just how much there is to learn about coffee. That's part of why I wanted to learn more about roasting on a more commercial scale. I always want to be learning.
That's so rad. In your words, can you tell us what being a coffee roaster entails?
So far, my approach to coffee roasting has been to focus on the numbers. I want to learn how different coffee behaves in the roaster and this is easiest for me to do by analyzing the data. I record time and temperatures by hand pretty meticulously in order to anticipate at what rate each coffee will reveal it's best flavor characteristics. It's a very left brain approach, but there are also visual cues, sounds and smells that help monitor bean development. I like the intense focus of my roasting approach. I know there is still so much more to learn, but it’s rad cultivating your intuition, becoming more confident that it will yield consistent results. Plus, if I’m ever in doubt, quality control is as easy as drinking my morning coffee.
Amen to that! Why is Lake Tahoe home? What do you like most (and least) about living here?
I lived in Saint Louis, Missouri my entire life. I love the Midwest and living in a city like Saint Louis, but I love a challenge and I also fell in love with a guy who wanted to work in the mountains. It seemed like a good opportunity to try living in an entirely new place. It’s been an adjustment for sure, but I love living in the clouds and the lake is beautiful. Probably the most incredible thing is the wildlife. We have coyotes and black bears in Missouri, but to see them on the edge of the forest (or in town!) is amazing. I love animals.
My issues with Tahoe kind of conflict with the things I love about the place, but I think some thoughtful development could go a long way here. It’s a very small town and resources, opportunities and housing for year round residents are extremely limited. I feel very fortunate to be working with you all at such an ambitious company. It will be great to see DRINK COFFEE DO STUFF grow as a resource for more people in the area.
Your pup (and shop dog) Max is adorable! What kind of dog is he? How long have you had him?
Max is great! We think he’s a Chihuahua/Papillon mix with a long-bodied Dachshund wiggle, but really we have no idea. My boyfriend and I adopted him from a nearby shelter about six months ago and whatever breed he is, he’s that to the Max!
You have such a great taste in music. What kind of tunes do you jam out to while roasting?
I get in super early in the morning, so I usually like to start off with moody morning tunes. Some of my faves are Gillian Welch, Big Thief, Sharon Van Etten, Angel Olsen, Courtney Barnett, Fiona Apple. Other mornings it's En Vogue and Nirvana, it just depends.
Which is your favorite DRINK COFFEE DO STUFF coffee on our current menu?
At the moment, I recommend our coffee from Peru. It’s been a standout on the cupping table over and over again, and on my V60 at home it smells like cherry cordials and roses. Very romantic aromatics. Ha! I like that it’s a very bright cup from start to finish with cinnamon and ginger spice warmth carried by a candied sweetness. Yum.
It's my favorite right now, too! Lastly: who inspires you, and why?
Honestly, I mostly try to just inspire myself. Otherwise I end up comparing myself to other people and that’s a dangerous exercise when you have a self-critical bent. As a woman, I do think it’s important to look to other women for inspiration. Self-criticism can look a lot like destructive competition and I want to support and be supported by women. So I guess I’m also inspired by the women in my life, even those I meet in passing. We’re all in this together.
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