Everyone knows Stan Lee as the septuagenarian star of Kevin Smithโs slacker comedy Mallrats, but did you know he also dabbled in comic book writing (maybe thatโs how he got the part in the movie)? An even littler known factโand one that is frankly more mind blowingโis that, before his passing in late 2018, Stan Lee loved coffee, particularly Onyx Coffee Lab coffee. So when the Stan Lee Foundation wanted to create the first-ever signature blend to honor the legend, Onyx was the obvious choice.
According to Baxter + Co, the company selling the exclusive collaboration, Lee was a fan of blends that contained coffees from Colombia, which makes his love of Onyx seem like a no-brainer; if thereโs one thing Onyx does well (there isnโt, thereโs like a million things), it’s coffee from Colombia. To create a blend that would receive the approval of the man himself, the northwest Arkansas roaster looked back through Leeโs order history with them to find the flavors he gravitated toward: slight berry, baker’s chocolate, raw honey, and sweet tea. The resulting blend is, of course, Colombia-focusedโa honey processed offering from the Aponte Villageโthough the other component is as tightly kept a secret as the true identity of Iron Man. Which is to say, we know exactly what it is: the washed Ethiopia Worka.
Proceeds from the sale of each of these incredible looking bags of coffee designed by Jeremy Teffโfeaturing perhaps the best cameo from a man that loved making cameosโwill go to the Stan Lee Foundation. From Baxter + Co:
The coffee bag and design was intended to commemorate and honor Stan Leeโs legacy & support the efforts of the foundation.ย Stan wrote stories and created characters that empowered his readers to know that we each have our strengths and weaknesses but by believing in ourselves, we have the ability to overcome our adversities. He wanted to create programs that would help embolden our youth through attaining literacy, continuing in education, and appreciating the arts.
Currently in pre-order the Stan Lee Foundation Signature Blend retails for $30 for a 12-ounce bag (though Baxtor + Co has a variety of ways to get 10-20% off) and will ship on Wednesday, May 29th. For more information on the coffee or to order your very own bag, visit Baxtor + Co’s official website.
Zac Cadwaladerย is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas.ย Read more Zac Cadwaladerย on Sprudge.
Top image via Onyx Coffee Lab
Disclosure: Onyx Coffee Lab is an advertising partner with the Sprudge Media Network
