Interview: Ice Nine Kills' Dan Sugarman Wakes the Dead With New Coffee

Ice Nine Kills‘ mastermind Dan Sugarman has had an overflowing roster of successful endeavors over the past years, but recently added one more to the list: coffee connoisseur. For me, it feels like there may be more coffee than water in my blood most days — so naturally, I had to scope out the new beans on the block. Needless to say, I was blown away by every aspect. Being an avid coffee drinker myself, I felt the responsibility to make sure this gloriously smooth blend be further known and shared with the world. I chatted with Dan about the overall process involved, as well as the beans themselves. Read on to learn more about how his idea was born and flourished.

Dan, you already have an impressive career with Ice Nine Kills and solo, plus an array of merch, lesson books, custom guitars and so much more. What prompted you to add coffee connoisseur to your roster?

“Getting into coffee was an easy choice for me. It gets me out of bed in the morning. It’s what fuels every single note I’ve ever played. I didn’t really see too many musicians or bands out there doing their own coffee, so I decided to look into it and found out that coffee is the second selling drinkable commodity behind water… pretty nuts — and a no brainer to dive into. I figured, why not give it a try and do it in a completely different way. So I’m just doing my thing and seeing what happens.”

The name Medium Roast For Dark Mournings is pretty sick, along with the artwork. I know you’re a horror fan, so it is very fitting. Was there anything specific that contributed to naming your blend and designing the artwork?

“The idea came to me when I had the joke in my head of Medium Roast being the name of a Comedy Central show that roasts Mediums (people who can speak with the dead)… I thought the whole bit would be hilarious — and I ran with it. As you can imagine, considering my previous Murder Axe videos you’ve seen, I’m going to be doing some pretty goofy content for this coffee when the time is right. As for the Dark Mournings, it came from me landing on a blend of 2 different beans: one Dark Brazilian Bean and a Medium Roast Mexican bean — both from family run cooperatives. I wanted to get the roast type in the name subliminally, and throwing the “u” into Mornings took it from being a breakfast blend, to a funeral blend… on brand yet again. Comedy and spooky. Perfect.“

I’m on the second bag already and truly loving the smoothness of MRFDM. The flavor is full-bodied, but the low acidity is the icing on the cake. Can you tell us about the origin and notes of the brew as well as the process of developing your secret formula?

“I’m so glad you like it. It was a long and windy road to land on that particular pair of beans, but I’m glad we did. It’s my favorite coffee I’ve ever had — and I’m not just saying that. My roaster (Road Roaster Coffee Company) sent me a huge amount of their best blends, at all different roast varieties. I already had it in my mind that I wanted to do a blend, so I spent about a month making a different cup of coffee every morning — taking notes, comparing flavors, acid level, smoothness, body… on and on and on. There were a couple other contenders that hit different marks for me that I may be doing something else with in the near future, but for now, MRFDM is the one.

“The cool thing about these beans are that although they aren’t Organic Certified, we are working with smaller family run-cooperatives who are working towards saving the money they need in order to get Organic Certified — which will allow them to grow exponentially — as that is a huge market and thing that coffee drinkers look for. I opted to go with these beans for that reason, because it’s giving a helping hand to the people who love growing the best coffee, so that they continue to grow the best coffee for more and more people.

“As for the flavor profile and tasting notes of this coffee… a lot of people are commenting on the fact that it’s so flavorful and smooth that its the first and only coffee they’ve been enjoying black. That makes me a happy camper. Depending on the way you make the coffee (cold brew, french press, drip, stove top espresso, etc), you’re going to pull different flavors. I’ve found that the french press/drip/stove top espresso bring out the nutty, caramelly, smoky, and chocolate flavors — while the cold brew method brings a little more of the brightness and butterscotch sweetness from the beans. Either way I make it, I’m drinking the whole dang pot — and it seems like that’s everyone’s stance on the beans as well. Again, making me a super happy camper.”

Do you have any personal favorite way to prepare and/or enjoy MRFDM?

“I like to drink my coffee black typically, as I’m a make-and-go kind of guy. But when I’m feeling like a fancy boy, I like to throw in a little tahini, with some maple syrup, a splash of vanilla, and a dash of cinnamon. If you say “dash” and “splash,” people take you more seriously (I’m told). Anyways, it’s a delicious drink, and reminds of a Halva — a middle eastern sweet sesame candy that I loved as a kid.“

You can order Medium Roast for Dark Mournings through Dan’s merch store, Sugarman Shop, by clicking here. While you’re there, be sure to check out his custom Murder Axe guitars (by Kiesel) and other rad stuff Dan’s been up to.

Keep up with Dan: Facebook / Instagram / YouTube

Post and interview by Nikki Phillips