Halloween is my absolute favorite time of the year, and clearly Brandywine Coffee Roasters feel the same way. Each season they send out a fleet of coffees, subscription boxes, teas, shirts, art prints, and other coffee-related paraphernalia, which for coffee fanatics helps to make the transition from summer to fall. Every item features incredible artwork designed by resident artist and drummer Todd Purse. Their coffee bags are silk screened by hand and stamped with a wax seal that makes each bag unique, and something worth holding onto (I keep all of my bags and boxes from them!)
I’ve been an avid fan of Brandywine for over three years now, and many of their coffees have blown my mind and made me re-assess my expectations from my favorite drink. Their coffees tend to be on the lighter side, which I greatly appreciate, highlighting massive tropical fruit notes, soft, delicate floral notes, and a bright, juicy quality that makes them great hot or iced. All of their coffees are special and each one has its own character.
In a world of coffee roasters that translate Halloween and cooler weather into dark roasts and nauseating pumpkin spice, Brandywine peels away from the crowd. Instead they make an Autumnal coffee that is bursting with notes of kiwi, strawberry, vanilla, and candied orange with a balanced acidity that makes it work well for both hot and cold. I have gotten fantastic results brewing in the Chemex and the V60, and it makes a really beautiful shaken iced coffee, though the cooler weather doesn’t make me reach for the cocktail shaker as often.
The bag art is a beautiful tribute to the artwork of Stephen Gammell, who was responsible for the deliciously-disturbing drawings that brought the tales to life in Alvin Schwartz’s Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark, a series of books that gave anyone who grew up with them the best nightmares as kids. I have vivid memories of being afraid to go near our fireplace at night in the house I grew up in. I just knew that the sound of the wind in the chimney was actually a grotesque skull-faced creature with melting eyeballs crawling down the flu, waiting to grab me and pull me in.
Brandywine has already released at least two Halloween-themed coffees this year, and they will be dropping a new one each week throughout the month of October. Each bag features art referencing an iconic show, movie, or book from the 80s and 90s, allowing us to relive ghoulish memories from childhood each morning while we sip our coffee.
To buy the series (with the original artwork) check out this link: Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark