Dutch Bros. Coffee, Grants Pass

Ever since we first started dating, way back in the 20th century, August has always been all about the big road trip to Christine’s hometown of Grants Pass, Oregon. And, just like in my hometown, we have a little checklist of places we make sure to eat and drink at the minute we hit town.

Abby’s Legendary Pizza and Millie’s Sandwich Shop are always on that list, but Dutch Bros. Coffee is the place I visit almost every day (sometimes twice a day!) when we’re in town. I know I’ve written a lot about bad coffee these days, but let me tell ya, amigos, there is nothing remotely bad about Dutch Bros. Coffee.

In fact, I would even go so far as to say that Dutch Bros. is probably my favorite coffee joint anywhere, and, considering the fact that they are mostly tiny drive-thru locations — except for the badass mothership cafe downtown — that is really saying something!

Dutch Bros. doesn’t just have crazy-friendly baristas and great, fresh-roasted beans, but they also have some of the best coffee drinks this side of Seattle. Seriously, once you’ve had a Dutch Bros. Kahlua Kicker on a hot summer day, you’ll never look at a plain-old Iced Mocha the same way again.

Founded in March of 1992 by brothers and former dairy farmers, Travis and Dane Boersma, Dutch Bros. began life as a modest coffee shack in downtown GP and today has 154 locally-owned and operated locations in seven states, including a few newer outlets in Northern and Central California.

I’ve been watching their website to see where the Bros. are migrating next, and, so far, they haven’t ventured south of Fresno, so, until the do, here’s to another coffee-tastic Southern Oregon summer!

Oh yeah, I should also mention that there is a very cool Dutch Wear boutique connected to the mothership downtown. Christine and I already have a closet full of Dutch Bros. merchandise, but something tells me we might be coming home with something a little smaller this year. Hmmm…a cute little Dutch Bros. onesie in a size 18-24 months, perhaps?

Hot and cold perfection in a cup…long live Dutch Bros. Coffee!

Mud – NYC’s Best Street Coffee

When our friends Mike and Patty returned from a recent trip back east, they came home with tons of cool pictures, mouth-watering tales of the finest sub sandwich in Jersey, and best of all…a pound of dark roast Mud Coffee as a belated birthday gift for me. Yeah!

Being a lifelong West Coaster, I had never heard the legend of the bright orange Mudtrucks of New York’s East Village, but after trying some of this rocking coffee…I can’t wait to check it out in person sometime!

And not only is the coffee the best earthy, hippie brew you ever had — Mud actually sells a Hippie Blend, but my pound was the darker roast, Mudtruck Blend — but the packaging is so cool you almost wanna frame it!

According to their super fly website, the Mudtruck’s journey began in 2001, when newlywed co-founders Nina Berott (a former ad exec) and Greg Northrop (a former musician) parked their first bright orange Mudtruck just a few feet from the 6 train stop in Astor.

Surrounded by green-logo-ed corporate coffee chains on all sides, the odds of this funky, converted lunch truck making it were slim, but the coffee was good, the tunes from the boombox rocked and the vibe was just right. So, almost overnight a caffeinated legend was born…

Seven years later, Mud coffee is sold in hipster haunts all over the city and as well as adding another Mudtruck to the fleet, there is also a bricks and mortar locale dubbed the Mudspot on East 9th Street between First and Second Avenue.

Mmm…something else to look forward to sampling when Christine and I finally make the trek out to NYC.

For now, I guess I’ll have take comfort in my last few cups of this delicious Mudtruck blend and hope that someday soon, those rocking orange Mudtrucks make their way to my neck of the woods…