A fiddle player and a vaudevillian walk into a coffee shop…
Is this the beginning of a new opening monologue for the next Dark Follies stage show? No! Instead it is the tale of how a brand new coffee blend carrying our name came to be. Of course the story actually began something more like this:
“What do you think of the idea of a Dark Follies coffee?” The question was put to me by Carson Lynch, our fiddle player and a new addition to the Follies. You might ask yourself what in the world a fiddle player would know about coffee but if this fiddle player also happens to be the proprietor of a small but prosperous coffee shop known as The Gorham Grind, the answer is…a whole heck of a lot.
My answer to the proffered question? Sure, why not?
And so a few days later, on a Friday, said fiddle player and The Mistress of the Dark Follies made their way to the Coffee by Design to seek out the services of Dylan, a coffee roaster of some repute, to create a blend of coffee that would be represent Dark Follies. 
While this vaudevillian might know how to pull together a two hour stage show complete with lights, music, dancing girls, jugglers, songs and several horrible jokes, I actually know very little about coffee, other than I know what a bad cup of it tastes like, and it is the first thought that crosses my mind when I wake up in the morning. However Carson and Dylan were more than happy to educate and guide me as we delved into the world of coffee.
I wanted to capture every step of the process. I mean how often does one find oneself in the Coffee by Design roastery taking part in the creation of a new coffee blend? So, I took photos of the beans, the various coffees steeping in their pots, the cups of steaming java that we sipped (and we sipped a lot of coffee), and of course a photo of the winning cup. Alas, due to a glitch in technology, the photos have been lost but while the process was interesting and enlightening, it is the end result that truly matters.
The coffee that was created that day is something wonderful. It is dark and smooth, sweet and just a touch smoky. Like every act in a Dark Follies show, each sip leads you someplace just a little bit different. This blend truly does represent the Follies in a cup of coffee.
Where can you find this wonderful bean beverage? We will of course be selling it at all of our stage shows along with our other merchandise. You will also be able to order 1lb bags here on the website and of course it can be found both in the bag and by the cup at The Gorham Grind in Gorham, Maine.
Stay tuned for information about a special official launch night to be held at The Gorham Grind on April 12th. The evening will feature not only Dark Follies coffee but also a preview of music by the Dark Follies (no longer just) Rhythm Orchestra with performances by some of the Dark Follies dancers.
In the meantime…have a cup of coffee!