Over two decades in business

I started roasting coffee at home seven years before I felt compelled to open DoubleShot. Twenty plus years in business must mean we're doing something right.

Sourcing

It's not "Fair Trade," and it's not even "Direct Trade." We buy coffee from people we know, friends who produce excellent coffees. Friends with the same ethos. And that makes a big difference.

We have been to origin

Yeah. Forty-one times, and counting. And not with the Roaster's Guild. I go because I want to get to know the farms and the people producing the coffee, to make friends with the locals and immerse myself in the history and culture of the area. I'm not on vacation. And I'm not taking pictures of children to put on my website. Does that make the coffee better? You bet.

Hand sorting

I go to the farms and I see the preparation at harvest, at the wet mill, at the dry mill, and in the cupping lab. Hand sorting is old school. Like me.

Roasting

A lot of people use computer-driven coffee roasters. Mine is driven by experience and intuition. No computer programs, just know-how. That's craft, and you can taste it.
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Varieties

Why most of the specialty coffee industry is selling blends with cute names, while we choose specific varieties from farms we know and trust. Like this Pink Bourbon from Luz Helena Salazar at Maracay in Quindio, Colombia.


"Testimonials" might be a strong word

Brian is not as stubborn as he seems. He simply has a volatile mix of intense discipline, plagued with distracting curiosity to do things himself to find the answers he's looking for.

Brian is a unicorn in the coffee world, there is only one Brian, his vision, commitment to quality and promotion of the hard work that goes on at the farm level is unprecedented.

He’s weird. He’s different. He takes a different approach to coffee than my own. I’ve disagreed with him (sometimes vehemently) on so many things, but he keeps it interesting and compelling and I can’t wait to read his book.

Edwin Martinez Onyx Coffee
Jim McEnaney Hacienda La Minita
Jay Caragay Spro Coffee

Newsletter

Let the games begin

A long time ago, Isaiah and I created a game that turned into an experiment and ultimately led me to realize I was watching a study in human behavior. It was such an eye-opener for me that I had to go home and sit down in the quiet to think about what was actually happening. It’s possible that you played this game during the brief period in which we conducted it. And if you were lucky enough or smart enough or psychic enough to figure it out, you might’ve even won.

In honor of the DoubleShot’s twentieth birthday, we’re bringing back the game, under different conditions. So you get another shot. All day on March 5, you can come in and pay a buck to play. Here’s how it works: You’ll examine a jar full of coffee beans and use all your skills and intuitions to figure out how many beans are in there. Play as many times as you want. At the end of the day, we’ll tally up all the entries and whoever is closest will win $100 gift card to use in the cafe.

I wrote a chapter in The Coffee Purist about the original game Isaiah and I created, and everything I learned watching people play. The book is currently available for pre-purchase. Read about it and follow the link at Purist.Coffee.

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Make mine a Dubbel

DoubleShot and High Gravity team up for birthday beer.

People say “beer” and it leaves us speechless. There are ale people and lager people. While not ones to judge, we’re definitely ale people. So it’s fitting that, for our 20th birthday smash, we’d serve an ale, one brewed especially for the event.

Dave and Desiree Knott of High Gravity Brewing Company have outdone themselves, creating a classic Belgian dubbel that hits all the right notes, in the spirit of some of our favorite ales—Westvleteren 8, Westmalle, New Belgium Dubbel, St. Bernardus Prio 8, Rochefort 6, the list goes on. We taste toffee and green apple, white grape and Rainier cherry. We taste … celebration.

For the party, we’ll serve our new DubbelShot ale in pint goblets, and sell it to go in four-packs of 16-ounce cans. It comes in a can but we recommend pouring it into a glass, maybe that Chimay tankard that’s gone idle for a while. Whatever vessel you choose, drink it at 50°F.

Ale, yeah.

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Rhymes with plenty

How does one celebrate twenty years in business? Well, all day, for starters.

Mark your calendars, save the date, and all that: Come March 5, the DoubleShot turns 20!

Did you just do double-take? We sure have. Did anybody believe the day would come? A milestone, to be sure, in the history of our little company, and in the annals of Tulsa coffee.

The fun begins at 7am when we OPEN the doors. Be among the first 20 customers and receive a commemorative gift from us, one we’re keeping a secret but WAY better than your average swag. We’ll have events all day celebrating the past, present and future of DoubleShot coffee—a string quartet venturing into heavy-metal turf, coffee tastings that even we’re excited about (and we taste a LOT of coffee), the bluegrass sounds of Grazzhopper, games of chance (and maybe some skill), a self-led Rookery tour, all kinds of fun stuff.

Then we’ll SHUT at 6p and reopen at 7 to really up the ante, starting with our own DJ Jolly on the turntable, followed by duo of Beau Roberson and Dustin Pittsley. We’ll have plenty of food, beer and wine for sale, gratis coffee on drip, and our espresso bar open for the so-inclined.

To get a piece of the action, you need a ticket. It’s free, but only available on our new app, so download yours now. Come early, stay late, represent. 

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