Whiskey Rio begins its journey as Rio Azul, a DCR Coffee that is available year round. The magic happens when we suspend the coffee beans in American oak barrels after they’ve been drained of locally distilled whiskey. The beans are infused with an unmistakeable aroma and a chocolatey oak flavor that you have to try for yourself.
DCR Coffee staff are celebrating this holiday season with 12 days of our favorite coffees!
We asked employees to choose the one coffee they wanted our customers to know about this season.
Here’s what they picked for you! See your favorite on the list too?
“Midway makes every morning easy like Sunday morning. I always have a bag on hand and it’s always my first recommendation to friends and family. It’s the perfect hug in a mug to bring home this holiday season!”
View Midway Blend“Between my husband and the four adult kids currently living in our house we go through A LOT of coffee so every month I bring home a 5lb bag of Howie’s Blend. I’ve always gravitated towards the chocolatey flavor profiles and this one delivers, plus it’s a crowd pleaser; everyone loves it. Personally, I like to add a little oat milk and some B22 Sugar Free Vanilla Syrup with my morning cup.”
View Howie’s Blend“I love DCR’s Rogue blend because it’s feisty and fun with a lingering sweetness to start the day off right!”
View Rogue Blend“Have you ever pictured smashing a blueberry muffin into your cup? Because that is what Fero Sidama tastes like in the morning with a tiny bit of almond creamer!”
View Fero Sidama“I love the fruity notes in the beginning and the burst of cocoa at the end. It’s the perfect blend to make you feel like you are on vacation all the time.”
View Green Planet“Las Lajas is one of my absolute favorite coffees we have here at Dillanos. I love it because its full of flavor and reminds me of a molasses cookie! What’s not to love?!”
View Las Lajas“My pick, Dillons Blend! The OG of all DCR coffees! This is my go-to coffee. Its balanced, clean and consistent. I love the chocolate and caramel notes and hint of roasted nut. I personally like to drink it black in the mornings or brew up a batch of cold brew and add a little B22 white chocolate powder.
This time of year it’s great with a splash of eggnog! That’s what’s so great about this coffee. It’s SO versatile and goes with everything. Dress it up, drink it plain, it’s for sure a crowd pleaser!”
View Dillons Blend“Ava Blonde is a perfect start to the morning whether it is the week day or weekend. With or without milk, this is a medium-light blend that shouts GOOD MORNING! and has an excellent finish.”
View Ava Blonde“Finca El Manzano is my favorite coffee, because every time I take a sip, I’m instantly transported back to the farm in El Salvador.
The flavors of crisp apple, with notes of chocolate and almond bring me right back to sipping my cup while watching the mist lift above the coffee trees at sunrise. It’s an easy drinking coffee that pleases all types of coffee drinkers!”
View Finca El Manzano“Our Fazenda Sertao is one of my favorite single origin coffees at Dillanos! This pulped natural process coffee from Brazil is great. It’s a medium roast that has flavors of creamy peanut butter, cashews and a honey sweetness.
This heavy-bodied coffee will be enjoyed by anyone on your Christmas list, including you!”
View Fazenda Sertao“Lucent is my go-to for the best espresso in the country. It is light and brightly sweet but with a great body that works great as straight shots (what I drink every morning) or cutting through your milk of choice for a latte.
And, hey, if you don’t agree, I’ll buy the bag from you anytime 😉”
View Lucent“Special Dark is our go-to coffee every single day at home. It gets us up and going in the morning and keeps us focused throughout our typical day of homeschooling our girls and taking care of business for Dillanos from our home office.
We love the deep roast and dark chocolate flavors. It’s an intense coffee that matches the intense days we seem to have lately! We hope you give it a try!”
Special Dark
If you’re in the market for the coffee lover in your life, be sure to take a look at our newly designed gift boxes! Each box contains 12 oz bag of our seasonal It’s a Wonderful Blend holiday coffee, a 10 oz red mug, and a cozy pair of socks!
As host David J. Morris says, Shane’s path to coffee stardom could be titled “From Cow Pies to Coffee”.
After spending more than a decade in the family’s cattle, ranch, and farm supply business, Shane Murphy founder and owner of Idaho-based Java Espress decided it was time for a change. He traveled back to his hometown of Coeur d’Alene to check out a popular pizza franchise and left with an unexpected passion for coffee after being served an amazing peach latte (yes, peach).
The first Java Espress location popped up in 1993 in the town of Idaho Falls—an area that, shall we say, wasn’t exactly known for a thriving coffee scene at that time. In fact, the construction of their first location was mistaken for a photo booth! “Do you seriously think that’s gonna work here?” a woman asked… Shane wasn’t so sure that coffee was the right choice over that pizza idea he originally investigated. But the fog quickly lifted as their massive flavor selection and famous smoothies using fresh ingredients became a fast trademark of the rapidly expanding business.
Aspiring entrepreneurs: if you ever feel like the odds are stacked against you, then this week’s episode of the DCR Coffee Podcast is exactly what you need to hear. Shane Murphy’s passion for coffee is only matched by his wisdom for new business owners. His advice to his younger self would be to “wear one hat–and don’t try to conquer the world.” As Shane puts it, constantly “running and gunning” makes it difficult to find the kind of quality time to relax with family that he craves. It’s his biggest challenge as a successful businessman. “Focus” is his best advice.
Java Espress proudly serves a proprietary blend of coffee crafted by the DCR Coffee professional roasting team. And the must-have drink to order the next time you swing through one of their 9 locations? Their signature latte: Sweet Anarchy. This classic beverage using white chocolate, amaretto, and black cherry syrups hit the menu over 20 years ago and hasn’t changed since. (If it’s not broken, right?)
What’s next for Java Espress? They’re expanding into Utah with 3 new franchise deals signed and sealed. Ask Shane and he’ll tell you this is all for family, for his son and daughter.
And Hawks fans, don’t hold it against him. He’s been rooting for the Chicago Bears since childhood.
We hope you enjoy our 5th episode with one of our favorite specialty coffee retailers, Shane Murphy of Java Espress.
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Connect with today’s guest online and on social:
Web: JavaEspress.com
Facebook: @JavaEspress
Instagram: @javaespress
Get ready for a deep dive into the history of Dillanos Coffee Roasters through the eyes of its founder, David J. Morris. The Coffee Maverick himself is taking us back in time to the days of half-time shows for the Seattle Sonics, outdoor coffee carts, and sleeping on the floor of their first roastery. Today, Dillanos is a leader in the coffee industry, but the road to success wasn’t paved in Geisha varietal espresso grounds. Listen in on how David’s personal growth through the years has impacted the company’s evolution from a ground floor start-up to the award-winning brand it is today.
The soul of this company was borne from vision and passion and a hunch that coffee was gonna be a big deal–but don’t call it luck. Ask David and he’ll tell you, “hard work makes the luck.” David’s advice to current and aspiring entrepreneurs is to figure out what you’re good at and stay in that lane. DCR Coffee remains a shining example of what entrepreneurs know to be true: build a business that solves your own problem and chances are it’ll solve one for someone else too.
The core of Dillanos remains the same from those early days: a passion for industry-defining coffees, a commitment to supporting customers in all areas of their business, and an uncompromising focus on company culture. Hear behind the scenes stories about the rigorous and unconventional hiring process, what it was like to grow a business as co-CEOs with his brother, and how David ended up with a tattoo of Evel Knievel’s signature on his arm.
We hope you enjoy this candid interview of David J. Morris, co-CEO and founder of Dillanos Coffee Roasters, by our friend Chris Deferio over at Keys to the Shop. Chris has been talking to the who’s who in coffee since 2018, continuing to invest in our collective knowledge as entrepreneurs, managers, and coffee retailers. Chris offers consulting for those looking for a professional guidance in their quest to build a solid, thriving shop.
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Find Coffee Maverick here:
Facebook: @thecoffeemaverick
Instagram: @coffeemaverick
Twitter: @coffeemaverick
Web: www.Dillanos.com
Based in Lewiston, Idaho, this community-focused entrepreneur built a business from scratch 21 years ago after leaving her job working for an ammunition manufacturer. Emily shares the books that inspired her to take the leap both in starting the business itself and in facing the trials and tribulations that go along with managing an unexpectedly large work force.
She talks about the life-changing trip she took to origin in El Salvador, spending time with Emilio on his farm. Awestruck by the experience, she continues to convey her appreciation of the hard work that goes into harvesting each lot to her team as part of employee training. Staff are taught to be mindful of how many hands the coffee crosses before it gets to them, and that theirs is the last before it goes to the consumer. She shares, “We care that much about the coffee.”
Get to know Emily and the creative ways they support their local community, such as putting stickers on their to-go cups to help advertise for local fundraisers, in the 3rd episode of The DCR Coffee Podcast with hosts David J. Morris, co-CEO at Dillanos Coffee Roasters, and Dave Rand, National Sales and Marketing Manager.
If you’re local to Lewiston, swing through one of their four locations. And if not, there’s always ordering the coffee served at Hot Shot Espresso, one of our darkest blends, Special Dark, from Dillanos.com.
Connect with our guest online and on social:
Web: hotshot-lewiston.squarespace.com
Facebook: @hotshotlewiston
Instagram: @hotshotsespresso_lewiston
This week we sat down with founder Darren Spicer of Clutch Coffee Bar hailing from North Carolina. Darren shared his early visions for building Clutch Coffee Bar, including what inspired the name and their flagship location in Mooresville.
In this episode, Darren shared his leadership insights for fellow entrepreneurs, including how his staff’s signature friendly, high-energy customer service hasn’t skipped a beat; their contributions to further breast cancer research are intact; and how plans for continued expansion are pressing forward, even amidst the economic challenges thrown at them by the pandemic.
Get the behind-the-scenes story on what makes one of North Carolina’s fastest growing specialty coffee retailers the success story it is and continues to be – Enjoy Episode 2 of the DCR Podcast!
Connect with today’s guest online and on social!
Facebook: @clutchcoffeebar
Darren’s Instagram: @darrenspicer25
Clutch Coffee’s Instagram: @ClutchCoffeeBar
Twitter: @ClutchCoffeeBar
Website: clutchcoffeebar.com
In our very first episode of The DCR Coffee Podcast, we sit down with one of our very good friends, Joe Lloyd. Joe is a legend in coffee and in business. He founded the incredibly popular Durango Joes Coffee in southwest Colorado and still leads his company from the front lines more than 10 years later.
His is a brain we couldn’t wait to pick! He’s got business management insights for days, guys. Plus, he’s got a new secret morning drink to wake up and start his day that we get to tell you about.
Hear why Durango Joe’s customers love the unique experience they enjoy with every cup of the DCR Coffee they proudly serve in our debut episode of The DCR Coffee Podcast!
For more information on our guest check them out here:
Instagram: @durangojoes
Facebook: @Durangojoescoffee
Twitter: @durangojoes
Books we talked about:
Ever read the label on your coffee and it describes flavors that you just aren’t picking up on? This is a sign that you might not have the right grind setting! After all, there are a ton of options to choose from.
Coarse. Fine.
Espresso. French Press.
What does it all mean? In this video, our Director of Coffee explains how to dial in the perfect grind for any brewing device!
Dillanos has a long history with this lovely, seasonal coffee that dates all the way back to 2006. Our Director of Coffee, Phil Beattie, first met Las Lajas farmers Oscar and Francisca at a conference in Guatemala. Just a year later we had the opportunity to host them here at the Dillanos headquarters, inspiring them to take a leap into new territory with their processing methods.
For the first time, they cupped a coffee that used a natural process and fell in love with the fruit forward, red wine flavors. Natural process is quite unusual for Costa Rican coffees, so they couldn’t resist the opportunity to perfect the delicate process. They have since mastered it and now hand-turn their coffee cherries multiple times a day, creating a coffee as rare and intriguing as the beautiful black pearl.
Oscar and Francisca continue to grow and process two of our most popular coffees, including Perla Negra which is only available once a year every fall.
Purchasing coffee from our One Harvest Project allows you to be a part of improving the quality of life for coffee farmers and their families across the globe. Grown near the Rio Azul river, this coffee is pungent with citrus, toasted almond and has a soft finish. Purchasing One Harvest is one small change that can make one big difference.
Sumatra coffees are famous for their distinctly earthy profile, developed using the unique wet-hulling method. Coffee anywhere else in the world labeled as earthy is a no-no, but from Sumatra this is the cream of the crop. Dried in the jungles, this coffee absorbs the character of local foliage and rich soils. Sumatra is big, bold and earthy, crop to cup.
Coffee grown in Papua New Guinea is wildly complex and unique like the island itself. You’ll find deep fruit characteristics of prune and raisin, with an almost syrupy texture. This is a must have experience in your journey through the coffee world.
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