July 24, 2013|
By SAMEEA KAMAL, The Hartford Courant
There's nothing like the sweet emotion that comes with a good cup of coffee.
Joey Kramer, drummer of the classic rock-and-roll band Aerosmith, is bringing his online-only coffee line, Rockin' and Roastin', into stores throughout the northeast, available in mid-August at Connecticut's 30 Big Y stores, seven Geissler's Supermarkets and Bozzuto's in Cheshire.
A coffee aficionado himself, the rock-and-roll star started the company in April 2012 and after selling it online-only for a year, partnered with Comfort Foods in May 2013 to get the coffee into stores. Moving into brick-and-mortar stores allows him more interaction with people, which he enjoys, he said.
"Dealing with the supermarkets, it's kind of fun for me because I really dig working in a team," Kramer said in an interview Wednesday.
Kramer, who has been a coffee lover since he was young, said he's had a passion for getting into the business for about five years, and now that the band is touring a little less, he has time to pursue it.
"It's not something I as a celebrity am just putting my name on, just to make money," he said. "I'm the CEO of the company. I'm 100 percent hands-on all the time."
Before he started his own line of coffee, Kramer's go-to coffee was Nespresso.
"I like something that's very robust, I like my coffee very strong," he said. "The places I like to drink coffee, the coffee is from is Sumatra, Guatemala and Ethiopia and those are the three places we're sourcing our beans."
Kramer is working on the launch in the northeast while on a three-week break from Aerosmith's world tour.
And while his involved role in the company makes his schedule very busy, Kramer's got his four cups of coffee throughout the day to keep him going.
"I think [Rockin' and Roastin'] is very smooth, which is the way coffee should be," he said. "We're bringing it for public consumption at a very reasonable price because I don't think people should be gouged for gourmet coffee."
At Geissler's, Rockin' & Roastin' will sell for $7.99-$8.99 per 12-ounce bag.
The trio of small-batch brews includes two Dark roasts from Sumatra and Ethiopia, and one Dark-Medium hailing from Guatemala. Prices are still to be determined at Bozzuto's and Big Y.
"At Big Y, we are always on the lookout for cutting-edge, top quality brands," Bill Eichorn, Big Y's Grocery Category Manager, said in a statement. "When we tasted Joey's coffee, we knew it would be a chart-topper and were ready to jump on board."
And for those who know Kramer for his animated drum solo performances that involve drumming with his arms, legs and even his forehead, you can rest assured his coffee will give you just as much of a kick.
