DoubleShot roastmaster, Brian Franklin has just returned from another trip to Nicaragua. He and Mark talk about what coffee farms are really like and the difficulty of getting to Dos Manzanas and Finca Massif. While en route to Finca Massif Nueva Segovia, Brian interviewed Luis Miranda about the farms and how he got into coffee. It's worth a listen…

Mark and Brian keep it brief this time and let the DoubleShot regulars talk. It's a lengthy cast of eighteen characters, all with something interesting to say. Quite a range of voices and stories and memories of DoubleShot history. Listen to the end for some juicy, intimate content where the tables are turned and Brian spills the beans on his priva…

With the DoubleShot's 20th birthday just around the corner, Mark and Brian reconvene to taste one of the two coffees Brian sourced and roasted for the occasion. It's sold as a box set called The Gemini Project, which is available at DoubleShotCoffee.com. The coffee jolts their memories and they spend the majority of the episode talking about the pa…

Brian Franklin opened DoubleShot Coffee Company on March 5, 2004. On March 5, 2024 we celebrate its 20th birthday. And there's a lot to celebrate. In this episode, Mark and Brian talk about the theme of this year's party and walk through an entire day's event schedule. There will be commemorative cups, a commemorative beer, unusual coffees, and a g…

January 20-25 Mark and Brian traveled down to Costa Rica to visit Hacienda La Minita. It was Mark's first foray into coffee territory. And La Minita was Brian's first origin trip in 2005. Here they chronicle some of the details of the trip, observations, and takeaways. To purchase a pound of La Minita, go to DoubleShotCoffee.com. Read more about th…

Each year, Mark and Brian convene for one last episode of AA Cafe in which they enumerate their "Ten Things." Every year is different, but they all come from the heart. It's a moment to forget about all the turmoil of the holidays and take a breath before the onslaught of a new year, and to focus on some things that make life really special. This e…

The DoubleShot's second and final holiday coffee is from Nicaragua! From a farm called Montelin in Nueva Segovia owned by a young man named Juan Ramon Diaz, jr. This episode is packed with info about the coffee, about the farm, and about the cascara that came from these coffee beans. Luis Miranda (Finca Massif) interviewed Juan Ramon in Spanish, an…

The holidays are upon us, and the DoubleShot has released their first holiday coffee of the year: Maracay Pink Bourbon Natural. Mark and Brian convene to sip and talk about it. An interview with the producer of the coffee, Luz Helena Salazar, interpreted by Felipe Arcila, her son and the owner of Cofinet - the company that sold the coffee to Double…

Felipe Arcila, the owner of a Colombian exporter called Cofinet, visited the DoubleShot earlier in the year to talk shop. Brian cupped a bunch of samples and bought a hefty alotment, all from one farm: Maracay. Obviously the roastmaster had to go and visit the farm, meet the producer (Luz Helena Salazar), and cup a lot more coffees. In this episode…

Originally recorded and published on Halloween 2016, this episode was re-Edited for Halloween night 2023. A weaving of ghost tales from the ever-memorable, former DoubleShot baker Shelley Womack and Big Bob Hendrick, who went off to BE a ghost in 2022. You can probably find him knocking around and flickering lights at The Rookery tonight. Happy Hal…

This blockbuster episode marks the launch of a new Kickstarter campaign to fund The Coffee Purist, a coffee table book filled with the details, stories, and lessons from the career of Brian Franklin. As it were, Mark Brown takes the reigns in this episode and is joined by co-host Katie Hader. Brian joins in as a guest on his own show to line out al…

With Tulsa Tough in town this weekend and Mark out of town this week, Brian sits down for a solo session to introduce the latest edition to the DoubleShot Elite: the Omnia Midstream cycling team. They will be competing Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in some hot and high-speed criterium races in downtown Tulsa. Captain of the team, Chad Cagle took som…

Journalist Julie Wenger Watson published a story in April's issue of Tulsa People magazine about the SoBo district of Tulsa. Her interview for the story with DoubleShot owner Brian Franklin was recorded in the AA Cafe studio, and published in this episode. Julie's kid gloves meet Brian's boxing gloves in this episode. Mark and Brian, as always, rou…

DoubleShot Coffee Company just turned 19! Mark and Brian discuss the aging of the business as the customer base increases and fans with 19 years under their belts begin to wane. Listen in on a brief discussion of Brian and Wiley's trip to Costa Rica. New happenings at La Minita combined with introductions to a few other long-term coffee roasters ga…

In this year-end, holiday spectacular, Mark and Brian settle in for a long Winter's chat. This episode spans the ages with the annual "Ten Things," but begins with a whimsical conversation featuring Natalie Reed of Muddy Paws Pottery. Natalie's Campesino cups are available while they last at DoubleShotCoffee.com/gift, along with a few other gift id…

Andrew breaks into the middle of a conversation about gift giving to deliver the last holiday coffee of 2022, from Nicaragua, El Bosque Yellow Catuai Anaerobic Natural. Tasting and dicussions ensue, then Mark and Brian talk about a few new items to hit the DoubleShot shelves. Notably, The Launchpad is about to make its debut, a device designed to c…

If you missed the big announcement at the DoubleShot, get all the news here. Mark and Brian sit down to recap, to unveil the next step in the evolution of DoubleShot Coffee Company, and to continue guiding us through a migration of the DoubleShot holiday coffees. To see the Dos Manzanas video, go to DoubleShotCoffee.com/farm.…

Something's amiss in the AA Cafe studio. Mark and Brian sit down to chat over a cup of the recently-released, third holiday coffee at DoubleShot: Bambito Estate Red Bourbon Natural. There's apparently change in the air, and the two cohosts discuss a bit of Thanksgiving tradition: football, coffee roasting, and chicken ramen. Buy the coffee and watc…

Mark and Brian reconvene to discuss the latest holiday coffee at DoubleShot, Bambito Estate Yellow Catuai Natural. They reveal the tip of the iceberg as the story of the 2022 holiday coffees progresses and a transition is in the works. A new cup design by Natalie Reed Goehl is also revealed in this episode. Listen, taste, imagine, and stay tuned fo…

The weather has turned and the holidays are officially upon us. With the release of DoubleShot Coffee Company's first holiday coffee of the season, Mark and Brian sit down to imbibe and reflect, to tell about the mystery behind this coffee and what's special about it. To taste the coffee yourself, go to DoubleShotCoffee.com.…

DoubleShot Elite, David Carter, stopped swimming, cycling, and running long enough to talk about his stellar finish at Ironman Tulsa. Meanwhile he's out in Kona, Hawaii competing in the Ironman World Championships. Back at home, Mark talks about his sport highlights and lowlights, and Brian recounts a recent 50 mile footrace in Flagstaff Arizona. I…

Episode Notes: When we started the Creative DoubleShot, Ginger and I had one rule: We would do the podcast as long as it was fun. Along with that rule, we had a goal: Create content that would be useful to creatives no matter where they were in their journey. While it may not have always been pretty or direct, we feel pretty good about how far we'v…

Episode Notes: Join us as we talk about Ginger's experience at the Taubman Art Museum's Sidewalk Art Show this past weekend in Roanoke, Virginia. We discuss the convergence of art and commerce, being on display along with your art and the power of the broader community. You can't predict the weather, although it was great for the show, and you cert…

Episode Notes: If you've ever heard the idiom "greater than the sum of its parts", you know that Frankenstein's monster was a helluva guy. If you've ever heard someone say "less is more", they may have also been talking about Frankenstein's monster. But we digress. In this episode we shamble through the concept of leaving stuff out, not doing too m…

Episode Notes: We get so hung up on things like measuring productivity, keeping in line with our own impressions of ourselves, and perfection that we forget we have the power to lay all that stuff aside in service of getting the most out of our creative practice. Sometimes we just need to take a step back and examine our narratives and notions to u…

Episode Notes: Taking to time to examine what's come before has its utility. The trick is being able to tell the solid ground from the quicksand, but when you do, reflection works on so many levels, from the day to day to keep your focus and your enthusiasm, to recurring themes in your creative practice. And best of all, don't forget the mistake-a-…

Episode Notes: If you ever find yourself wandering the foggy moors of creative practice with nary a flickering lantern to guide you, it may be time to set some intentions, intentionally working with all the intent you can muster. Sound confusing? It is! But only when you look at the concept inside Jonathan's brain. In this episode we talk intention…

Mark Brewin joins us to talk about the function of public spaces, the difference between places and spaces, and the history of media in the public realm. Coffee is obviously the centerpiece of it all.By Brian Franklin

Episode Notes: In this episode we talk about focusing on the little victories to keep us going and keep the fires of begeisterung stoked. Too often we focus on the barriers to creating what we want, whether it be lack of time, immature craft, jealousy or a rug that needs a good vacuuming. Dump the negativity and seek out those little wins. This inc…

Episode Notes: This past weekend we left our home for a modest cabin in the woods for a couple of days dedicated to creativity. It's not about productivity so much as it's about having the permission to ignore everything else and dig into those things that fill the soul, such as reading, playing music, journaling or just staring at the fire with a …

Episode Notes: Most of us look back at one point or another and wish we'd had the benefit of the hard won wisdom we now possess, but would our younger selves have been receptive? And even if they had, would they have put that wisdom to use? In this episode we discuss some of the things we think might have been useful knowing full well it may fall o…

Episode Notes: Craft is something that forms and evolves over time. It's also one tool of several you apply to your creative practice, albeit more akin to a multi-plier than a flathead screwdriver. Okay, that's probably enough of the tool metaphor. In this episode we talk about craft, ways to hone it, pitfalls to look out for and how being a lifelo…

Episode Notes: Sometimes the idea you think you have is not the one you ultimately wind up with. We talk about ideas, not so much where they come from, but what to do with them once they drop into your skull like a quarter in a gumball machine. Because many initial ideas are born from things we've seen or heard, they may manifest at first as cliché…

Episode Notes: Hang on to your bagpipes because in this episode we talk about storytelling, the forms it can take, how to indulge in your inner minstrel or gleeman or busker by dragging the story(ies) inside you out into the world, bit by bit, or, as Anne Lamott would say, bird by bird. We reference a few of our favorite storytellers and in the pro…

Episode Notes: Sometimes too many choices can paralyze us in life and in our creative practice. In these instances it can be useful to set some limits whether it be in your choice of media, your time, your palette or your tools. And those limitations over which you have no control? You may just want to embrace the hell out of them and see what happ…

Episode Notes: Join us on a meandering, um, Journey (you'll see) of exploration on those features of our modern world that chip away at our creative practice. We don't have any tips about how to beat Father Time, but we do offer up some tips on how to make the most of our time while we're here. From the demands of the modern work life and the silic…

In this marathon episode celebrating the 18th birthday of DoubleShot Coffee Company, Mark recounts specific events along the timeline as Brian tries to explain what happened. Find yourself immersed in DoubleShot lore and then go to DoubleShotCoffee.com/memories to tell about your own experiences.By Brian Franklin

Episode Notes: With the Russian invasion of Ukraine dominating headlines, we dig into creating while the world seems to be crumbling around us. What's the point? Why bother? Turns out there are many reasons to keep the faith and keep creating. Creativity in uncertain times may seem frivolous or a guilty pleasure but it's fundamental to our humanity…

Episode Notes: As Ginger prepares for her first day of her new job at the library, we talk about maintaining your creativity while holding down a day job. It might seem daunting at first, but there are ways, dude, and we want you to know. Also, If you have a full-time job and you just don't think you have the time for a creative practice, guess aga…

Episode Notes: Sometimes the answer to a question about, or a solution to, a creative conundrum lies within ourselves, we just need a way to get it out. Enter journaling. In this episode we talk a bit about our very different approaches to journaling and others that are out there. We also talk about the benefits of journaling ranging from the menta…

Episode Notes: Sometimes you're just itching to share your work with someone. Anyone. But is that always the best indicator that it's time to put your latest creative project out there? In this episode we identify a few potential indicators that can help you know when the time is right. And perhaps more importantly, we examine some of the reasons w…

Episode Notes: It seems as if we're always striving to finish our creative work, but sometimes it seems as if the finish line moves or disappears altogether. Or maybe we never knew where it was to begin with. So how are you supposed to know when you're really finished? We throw out some sign posts that help us know when we're finished, but also whe…

Episode Notes: Sometimes we suffer from inertia in our creative practice. Whether just starting out on our creative journey or working at it for years, there are times when it all seems pointless or overwhelming or just blah. In those moments we find it hardest to take that first step, to put brush to canvas or fingers to fretboards. It's something…

Episode Notes: The way forward is not always clear, despite our best intentions, our diligent planning. What do we do when we find ourselves lost in the process with no map to guide us home? In this episode we explore the benefits of leaning into the uncertainty of the creative process (hint: it's where much of the magic happens) and some possible …

Episode Notes: In this episode we trot out everyone's favorite tired concept, New Year's resolutions. We delve into why they kinda suck and why they make us feel so bad. We put forth the idea that maybe, just maybe there's a better way to approach 2022. When we come from a place of self-compassion and curiosity, when we play to our strengths, we ha…

Episode Notes: In this episode we look back on six months of The Creative DoubleShot, give shoutouts to some great books and the power of face to face interaction. We bandy the idea of returning to the same concepts over and over again as guide posts to keeping that spark alive in your creative practice. Keep you eyes peeled for an annotated biblio…

Mark and Brian celebrate the end of 2021 with their annual list of ten things. Drinking a Gesha coffee from Finca Momoto, the duo rattle off people who've influenced their writing and coffee careers. Paul Bowman stops by with his bagpipes to perform Auld Lang Syne on the shortest day of the year. And there's a hand, my trusty fiere! and gie's a han…

Episode Notes: In this episode we pretty much hammer home the value of repetition in your creative practice over and over and over. From repeating techniques or returning to the same subject matter over and over and everything in between repetitions serves to free our minds, hone our skills and enter the flow state. That's why they call it a creati…

Gene Leiterman from Glacier Confection stops by for a visit at the AA Cafe studio to talk about how chocolate is made, from the tree all the way to the bar. Glacier's collaboration with DoubleShot Coffee Company came to a culinary pitch this year with the creation of four unique dark chocolate bars infused with the four holiday coffees roasted and …

Episode Notes: Play is often scorned and maligned (I think we all know who does the scorning and maligning, don't we? Dour hats and shoes, both with buckles, hmmmm?). It's frivolous and unproductive. So how can it be so damn important? Well, listen up good, uh, listeners and we'll take you on a dizzying journey to find out why, touching on how play…