The 400 Project

I can hardly remember a time where I didn’t consume coffee on a daily basis. I’m sure most of our readers can agree with that statement. However I wasn’t always fueled by coffee, in fact I didn’t start my consumption till sometime after college. I was getting sick of hot chocolates and green teas when going on coffee runs with my co-workers so I started my conversion to the dark side with a double double.

Quickly I transformed my order to a two milk, one sugar; then to just two milk, cutting out the sugar entirely. This was around the time Tim Hortons started up their dark roast so that became the roast of choice. A co-worker and I liked our coffee the same and Tim’s would write DR2M in white markers on the lids. The internal “Doctor Two Milk” meme was created (two doctor photos and a glass of milk) and posted on the wall for some laughs and as a reminder for our Tim’s Runner on what we usually wanted ordered.

I didn’t stop there though, this was merely the beginning of my downfall. I then cut out another milk, and I was a “Doctor Milk” order for awhile. Coffee slowly started becoming more than just coffee to me. I started tasting differences in the flavours and how long the coffee would be appealing to me after it cooled down. For a summer I grew to like a local Country Style over Tim’s based on these five reasons: the flavour was just as good as Tim’s when hot (both sucked when cold), the drive-thru window was low for some reason so it was the perfect height for my lowered car, they didn’t have long ass lines cause everyone was at Tim’s, the lady who worked mornings got to know my order and would have it ready for me, and during the whole summer it was $1 any size.

After trying out more chain restaurants and coffee joints I landed on Mcdonalds being my quick and on-the-go stop of choice. Milk was next to go and I became one of those people who thought they were cooler than everyone else for drinking black coffee. I would of course indulge in the odd Americano, Ice Cap, or Mocha Latte here and there. After working at a brewery for awhile my tastebuds evolved again and I began to enjoy bitter, hoppier beers and just like the craft beer rabbit hole, began to fall down the craft coffee rabbit hole (not that you’d call them that).

Basically going full hipster in this department along with Matt; we began to visit unique little coffee shops wherever we could. Toronto, Barrie, Orillia, Hamilton, Ottawa, etc. This would continue whenever I’d travel to the States, along with mapping out craft breweries I’d have to find a few coffee shops for the next morning. A new local coffee roaster called Epic North Coffee Co. started up in Barrie and my brewery collaborated with them on a Stout, so they were my go-to coffee for quite awhile.

With buying whole beans came grinders, french presses, single cup pour-over filters, and cold brew (for Christmas I got this neat cold brew coffee maker in the photo above). Coffee was now a thing to perfect at home, or to bring with you to work. I no longer stopped at McDonalds on the way to work everyday. I found a new fulfillment in taking time to make the perfect cup and enjoying it in silence early in the morning. Plus saved a ton of money and waste by doing so.

Fast forward to the present and we’re hunkered down in quarantine. It’s the small things that can make a day when they all seem to blend together. I made an order from a company I stumbled across recently, Deadly Grounds Coffee. I enjoyed their fun overall brand as well as the fact they branded individual packages (reminding me of craft beer). So I ordered up 4 bags of different types of roasts to try em out. So far I’ve enjoyed every cup.

The Espresso Playground blend caught my eye with it’s retro gaming package design as well as the fact it’s a play off “Electric Playground” with Victor Lucas, a show Bryan and I would watch in highschool. I have no problem supporting companies that clearly have fun while providing a quality product!

Now you’ll have to excuse me while I go brew an afternoon cup.