Dexter Mill has added some great coffee to the shelves of their general store. It is essentially the same coffee that was sold in Dexter’s Foggy Bottom Coffee House, my prior business.
Dexter Mill’s owner, Keri Bushaw, along with her brother Aaron Bushaw sent me an email a couple of months ago saying, “Doug, we would like to start selling coffee here at the mill. Would you be interested in helping us?”
I screeched into the parking lot before my good friend Aaron could lift his finger off the “send” button.
I owned and operated Foggy Bottom Coffee House in Dexter from August 2004 until January 2016. We roasted our own coffee, buying green coffee from an importer in New Jersey and roasting it in the shop. Popular coffees at Foggy Bottom were North Face House Roast, Killer Baboons Dark Roast, and single origins, particularly Sumatran and Costa Rican.
When I first started roasting, I needed an example of what really good coffee tasted like in order to copy it. I found it and reproduced it in Foggy Bottom. Now, the roaster I copied for Foggy Bottom’s brew is supplying coffee to Dexter Mill.
This roaster specializes in customizing coffees for small shops and retailers. The coffee is not roasted until Dexter Mill orders it and it is delivered the next day, fresh from the roaster and not a warehouse shelf. The coffee is roasted specifically for Dexter Mill with their own custom label.
AND IT TASTES (insert favorite adjective for emphasis) GREAT!
A cup of brewed joe costs you a buck – your cup, their cup, no matter the size – drop $1.00 in the jar. Get in. Get out. Get on with your day.
The addition of coffee is but one more step in a larger, exciting project for Dexter Mill’s general store.
“Our plan is to convert a portion of our retail space into a locally-sourced market offering meats, cheeses, breads, and other food grown and produced in the area,” explains Keri. Supporting the local economy, sustainability, and knowing where your stuff comes from are important pursuits for Keri and her team.
“And yes, we would like to add an espresso machine,” she adds. “We want to create an outdoor seating area around the flowers and plants of our greenhouse hoping folks may want to just hang out for awhile.”
It is all a nod to the nostalgic feel of gathering at the local general store, unrushed, mindful, in the moment with neighbors, if even only for a few minutes – quality of life over quantity.
Four coffees are being offered:
- Silo Five House Roast (same as Foggy Bottom’s North Face Blend)
- Grinder Pit Dark Roast (same as Foggy Bottom’s Killer Baboons)
- Sumatran
- Costa Rican
One of my favorite experiences is finding great things in unexpected, unassuming places. It feels like belonging to a secret, underground club. “The first rule of fight club is …” Except I’m talking about this in case you enjoy such things as much as I do. This is that, without the bruises or Brad Pitt.
The Dexter Mill already offers market items such as fresh eggs, milk, honey, and maple syrup. And now, with great Dexter Mill Coffee, it is just one more addition to that feeling of community that Dexter fosters and enjoys.
