coffee
When he’s not obsessed with the double-bass patterns in “A Skull Full of Maggots” and “Hammer Smashed Face,” Cannibal Corpse‘s Paul Mazurkiewicz Jr. contemplates coffee. “Always thought, in the back of my mind, ‘It’d be cool to have a Cannibal Corpse coffee,’” he says. So when Mike Tonsetic, a founder of Concept Cafes, reached out to the death-metal drummer on Instagram and proposed the band-branded Brazilian blend Beheading & Brewing, Mazurkiewicz responded: “Sounds like what I was thinking about for years. Why not?”
Introduced on Halloween 2022 and emblazoned with album cover artist Vince Locke’s image of a disemboweled zombie drinking from a decapitated head, Cannibal Corpse coffee bags have been “selling really well” on tour and online, according to Mazurkiewicz. And it’s part of a new branding formula in heavy music: touring stars from GWAR (“espresso destructo”) to August Burns Red (“revival roast”) aligning themselves with gourmet blends, copious caffeine, black bags and scary artwork.
Trending on Billboard
“We thought it was going to be hell-raisers and beer drinkers shooting us down, and saying, ‘Coffee is stupid,’” says Tonsetic, whose Orlando-based company has also teamed with Ministry, Soulfly and Suicide Silence’s Chris Garza. “But metal fans in their 40s-plus, a lot of them are sober and not just drinking beer. They’re getting into other things, whether it’s coffee or tea.”
Rockers have teamed with coffee companies for years. Iggy Pop customized a blend with Portland’s Stumptown Coffee in 2019, and KISS (of course), Dropkick Murphys and members of Green Day have put out their own brands. While hard-rock bands have historically focused on branding bourbon and other alcohol products, in recent years, the estimated $458 billion coffee industry has come for metal, often through roasters with “death” in their names and skulls in their logos. “Like everything, after a couple happen, everyone starts doing it,” says Cory Brennan, founder of 5B Artist Management, whose clients Slipknot and Babymetal do not have their own blends. “The coffee-metal world is getting saturated, but there are some great ones.”
Metal-branded coffee deals vary. Several sources say they’re 50-50 revenue splits between artist and coffeemaker, but another source adds that expenses for a high-end brew can be as much as $12.50 per bag, so for a $20-25 price point, the coffeemaker might give a well-known band roughly $8, or $5 for a lesser-known artist. “If I do a collaboration, as long as I cover my costs, they get to have the profit,” says Carl Fricker, owner of 24-hour Brisbane, Australia, espresso house Death Before Decaf, which sells blends by rising metalcore stars August Burns Red and Sydney metal band Northlane. “A lot of the bands, as they’re getting on in years, they don’t go out and get smashed anymore. When they get into coffee, they get right into coffee.”
Cannibal Corpse Coffee
Courtesy Photo
“It does really well,” says August Burns Red guitarist Brent Rambler. “We’re big coffee drinkers. At worst, I’ll get some great coffee out of it.” Adds vocalist Keith Wampler, whose band The Convalescence sells its Brazilian hazelnut through Grindcore Coffee Co.: “If you make it gory and put some skulls on it, it’s a little cooler than your average bag of coffee you grab at the store.” (The word “death” can be fraught for coffee companies in the U.S.; when Death by Decaf attempted to expand here, by trying to extend its Australian business name with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, New York-based Death Wish Coffee Co. sued for infringement. Death by Decaf settled last December, and the owner says he spent $200,000 on legal fees.)
As for flavor, most metal stars leave aesthetic coffee details to the experts: “I’ve got three options that are pretty extreme in the caffeine count, and that seems to be a huge selling point for a lot of bands,” says Chad Petit, Grindcore’s owner.
But for Grindcore’s coffee bag with GWAR, displaying a cartoon of the band wielding a buzzsaw and giant hammer, the shock-metal veterans insisted on elaborate tastings and feedback. “This is a band that kills people on stage and cuts people’s heads off,” says GWAR co-manager Liam Pesce. “Obviously, they’re going to want the darkest roast and flavor imaginable.” Adds John Bambino, another GWAR co-manager: “I think there was mention of nutmeg in there.”
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
Kelsea Ballerini has reached her 10-year milestone as a country artist, but that hasn’t slowed her down. 2024 is proving that her star only continues rising, including performing for the 2024 CMA Fest, preparing to make her coaching debut on The Voice as the competition show’s fifth judge (alongside a returning Adam Levine) and getting ready to release a new album, which she tells Billboard in a new interview, that it’s “close to done” (“I’m still finishing final touches on vocals, but we have half of it in mixing,” she shares).
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
And that’s not all, outside of musical achievements, the songstress can now officially say she has her own coffee line. As the global ambassador for The Original Donut Shop, the two partnered to release the “Peter Pan” singer’s first-ever coffee flavor, entitled the Ballerini Blend — and you can score 50% off the limited-edition K-cups now.
Trending on Billboard
The Ballerini Blend features a vanilla-base flavor, which is inspired by the country star’s favorite coffee treat: a vanilla latte with oat milk. You can score the 12-pack of the K-cups from now until June 11 on sale through Keurig when you put the code DONUTDEAL24 in at checkout.
Keep reading to shop the new blend as well as learn more about Ballerini’s favorite coffee necessities.
Ballerini Blend Coffee
$5.75
$11.49
50% off
Grab your coffee mugs and prepare to serve up a hot cup of the multi Grammy-nominated singer’s original flavor. It comes in a 12-pack and features a medium roast with notes of buttery vanilla flavors for a hint of sweetness. The K-cups are also compatible with all Keurig machines.
In case you’re looking for more Ballerini-approved gifts — especially for music lovers and coffee fans, the singer also mentioned the one accessory she always needs when she’s sipping a cup of joe.
“I’m big on the cup,” she says. “It’s all about the vessel. For me, I really like oversized mugs. There’s just something that adds a bit of coziness to the experience.”
Disoza Large Coffee Cup
The country star doesn’t want just any large cup either, she tells us “I want an oversize big coffee mug that also could serve as a soup mug.”Amazon currently has a stylish version that comes in a range of colors and uses a ceramic material to help keep heat insulated. The built-in handle will also allow you to easily pick up your beverage with less worry of spilling or burning yourself.
For those who don’t have a Keurig machine or are looking to upgrade their current model, the K-Mini is on sale for up to 40% off and provides a sleek and compact build for easy, quick coffee making.
Keurig K-Mini Single-Serve Machine
$69.99
$99.99
30% off
$59.99
$99.99
40% off
$79.40
$89
11% off
Amazon considers this coffee maker a no. 1 bestseller for single-serve brewers with more than 6,000 purchased in the past month, according to the online retailer. It measures at five inches wide, making it easy to place on counters or small spaces without leaving your space feeling cluttered. The machine can also make up to 12 ounces of beverages or as little as six ounces if you prefer a smaller drink.
Below ShopBillboard also chats with Ballerini about what she hopes to teach her teammates on The Voice, her iconic duet with folk-alternative artist Noah Kahan, and her thoughts on more country artists partnering with coffee (and donut!) brands.
First off, congratulations on The Voice! You’ve also celebrated a decade in country music, so what are you hoping to pass on to your teammates? And also, where do you see your music evolving and going next?
I feel like I’m in this really beautiful crossroads of my career where I have a decade of things that I’ve learned and experienced and navigated. But, I still very much feel like I’m in the puberty stage of my career, where I still really have so much that I want to do and so much more music that I want to make, many more stages that I want to play on. Advice that I can give my future team, would just be what I’ve experienced in the last 10 years — and also being really open about the fact that I’m still learning, I’m still growing. There’s still things that I’m wanting to do and I think that’s a really cool space to be in as a coach, to be at that crossroads [where] I [have] experience enough to be able to give advice, but I’m also still experiencing so much and can walk alongside these artists with them.
You recently did a duet with Noah Kahan — what was that like and how did it come about?
I am such a fan of Noah’s and we both got honored at the [Billboard + NMPA Grammy Week Showcase] event before the Grammys, and my goal that night was to meet Noah and we just became buddies. So, when the ACMs were coming up, there was an artistic synergy that made sense between our music. It was really fun to be able to combine the world of Stick Season and Welcome Mat. He’s such an incredible songwriter and musician, but he’s also just a wonderful person. To be able to be buddies now and have that artistic synergy, I definitely think there’s more to come there.
And now you’re with The Original Donut Shop, Jelly Roll just partnered with Dunkin, and Dolly Parton has her collaboration with Krispy Kreme — is there a connection?
Well, everyone loves donuts and coffee. That’s so funny, I didn’t realize that. But I love Jelly, he’s a dear friend so I’m definitely going to start some beef with him about it. No, honestly, it’s been a really perfect synergy of a partnership because I have constantly been trying to find the consistent things in my life, whether I’m home or on the road. Wherever I am, things that can feel the same and so being able to partner with one of my love languages and then also collaborate and do this flavor together, it feels really synergetic and delicious.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. Keurig and the legendary rock group The Rolling Stones have come together for a first of its kind collaboration — and […]
The Weeknd is connecting with his Ethiopian roots and honoring his family with his new Samra Origins coffee brand and product line in partnership with Blue Bottle Coffee, which was announced Wednesday (May 3).
Named after his mother Samra, Samra Origins pays homage to the Canadian-Ethiopian singer’s heritage and motherland’s standing as the birthplace of coffee. The Weeknd (real name Abel Tesfaye) and Samra developed the first Samra Origins blend with Blue Bottle’s head of innovation & quality, Benjamin Brewer. Brewer selected some of Ethiopia’s best coffees to craft three blend variations, which The Weeknd and Samra tasted before selecting the offering most similar to the coffee Samra brews at home. Blue Bottle then worked with The Weeknd to carefully fine tune the blend and create a distinct flavor profile, which not only captures classic notes of fresh fruit and bright florals but upholds centuries of traditions originated and perfected by Ethiopian coffee farmers.
“Ethiopian culture is an important part of my identity and I’m proud to work alongside the Blue Bottle Coffee team to shine a light on Ethiopian traditions, values, and of course, coffee,” said The Weeknd in a press release. “Growing up, I watched my mother perform Buna Tetu, a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony. This sensory experience helped shape my understanding of community and taught me to always honor my roots.”
In an exclusive statement to Billboard, he added: “Samra Origins is a true passion project of mine that Blue Bottle matched and understood as we developed the products together. I hope the result ignites curiosity about Ethiopia’s people and motivates others to give back to communities in need.”
The Weeknd
Blue Bottle Coffee
The Weeknd
Blue Bottle Coffee
And to honor The Weeknd’s philanthropic efforts, Blue Bottle Coffee will donate to his XO Humanitarian Fund, which he launched in March 2022 alongside the United Nations World Food Programme. Since its launch last spring, the XO Humanitarian Fund has raised and pledged $5 million to provide food and support to millions of people experiencing hunger across the globe.
“We are grateful to have The Weeknd and Blue Bottle Coffee’s steadfast support as we work to feed families in hunger hotspots worldwide,” said Barron Segar, president and CEO of World Food Program USA, in a statement. “Private sector partners like Blue Bottle Coffee are critical in generating both public awareness and funding to save the 43 million people on the brink of starvation across 51 countries.”
Samra Origins will launch this month with a limited release of Exceedingly Rare Ethiopia Wolde Faye Koricha COE #7, which anyone can purchase for $65 (per 100g tin) exclusively online at samraorigins.com. Starting Wednesday, Blue Bottle guests can sign up for the online waitlist to be the first to know when Samra Origins officially drops next Tuesday, May 9.
“Ethiopian coffee is truly in a class of its own and the country holds a special place within our Blue Bottle community,” said Karl Strovink, CEO of Blue Bottle Coffee, in the release. “Since Blue Bottle Coffee’s inception in 2002, we’ve sourced coffee from Ethiopia. In 2023, Ethiopia is still consistently among our top origins by volume. I’m excited that we’re extending our commitment there with Samra Origins so we can continue to share the best of Ethiopian coffee and support our network of producers in the country.”
-
Pages