Journal

This journal explores the inspiration behind our latest seasonal and signature drinks. Created by Rhianna Bennie and shaped by ideas from our cafe team. Each beverage brings together the flavors of fall, our coffee offerings, and the creativity of the people behind the cup. With each new season, we receive a new set of opportunities to showcase relationships and coffees we have worked hard to share. Moving through the last...

This year’s Harvest Moon is composed of 60% Finca de Dios Reserva from Guatemala and 40% Mokonisa from Ethiopia, both washed coffees. For a cup with notes of clove, fig, and toffee. We spoke with Lead Roaster Jeff Millard about choosing the coffees, finding balance in the roast, and creating a blend for autumn. What does each coffee contribute to this year’s Harvest Moon blend? When choosing which coffees to...

A great cup of coffee should feel familiar, but it will not always come from the exact same grind setting. Coffee is a constantly changing agricultural product, from the moment it is harvested to months after it is roasted. Even when you return to a familiar coffee, natural variations in climate, harvest conditions, and the type of coffee itself can change how the cup brews and ultimately tastes. Blends like Bolt...

For our final Elevated Series release of the year, we asked Reily, Madcap’s Coffee Quality Control Specialist, to explore Francy Castillo and Anayibe Ortiz’s coffees through the lens of tasting and brewing. Below, she shares what makes each coffee distinct, along with her brew guides for bringing those qualities forward in your own cup.Understanding how to go about tasting a coffee is one of my great projects in life. Tasting,...

As we continue to draw inspiration for our signature menu from a large scope, events like the United States Barista Championship present us with so much creative opportunity. With the USBC wrapping up last month, our community is digesting this year’s competitors, their routines, and their coffee selections. This year, our Quality Control Specialist, Reily Pond, competed with a Java variety from Juliana Guevara out of Huila, Colombia. With Hopper's...

Ever wondered what we mean when we say a coffee is “washed”? What about when a coffee bag label says “Natural Process”?    When we think of items as being processed, we may have ideas of methods or ingredients imparted on those items to make them consumable. Imagine spinach for example. Just like spinach can be consumed as is, spinach can also undergo processing to be sold frozen or canned....

dito (di-dō) gets its name from the latin word meaning “to enrich.” dito’s coffee is sourced, roasted, and packaged by the familiar faces with the same values at Madcap. The price point is more accessible, the coffee is delicious, and the energy is just straight up fun.

The coffee journey starts long before you get your drink at a cafe or brew a cup at home. The behind-the-scenes process is many months long, includes many helping hands, and involves thousands of miles traveled.