How to Make a Happy Hour Even Better? Add Home-Roasted Coffee

What’s one of the zillion reasons the Pacific Northwest creative community is incredibly strong? All the unique talent who love sharing their passions! It goes beyond side hustles and into a territory of immense pride. 

Take ThinkNW member Mike Seng. Mike’s an exceptional creative director and copywriter, and one of his deepest passions is fresh coffee — specifically, home-roasted coffee. He sources raw beans, then roasts each batch to perfection for friends, family, clients, and lucky colleagues. And, Seng’s been imbibing in this culinary art for decades. 

“One of my first and favorite agency accounts was Melitta Coffee, perfect for me since I’d already been roasting coffee during my Creative Circus portfolio school days in Atlanta,” says Mike who’s chock-full of coffee industry trivia — like how Melitta invented the paper coffee filter.

This past Fall, Seng teamed up with Doug Keyes, an incredible designer and creative director who was part of Starbucks’ first internal Creative Studio and spent 11 years doing a wide range of design there. It didn’t take long for this dynamic-duo collaboration to come up with our group’s Super Thinker Roast product and brand. 

In exploring a product name for what defines a true marketing pro, Mike says, “Super Thinker” definitely supported that. Every day, we must rise above incredible odds, not unlike superheroes.”

“Mike and I conceived many original and fun creative options, but Super Thinker was the clear winner for many reasons. A major one was how we could use a typical 16-ounce beer can to keep the ground coffee fresh longer than in a paper bag and be easily shipped. It would be fun and memorable, too,” says Keyes. “I felt my design should extol iconic Pacific Northwestern motifs versus the typical superhero approach. I discovered an artist in Idaho making prints from cut pieces of wood logs, the particular image I used reminded me of a brain. A micro brewery typeface aesthetic and that familiar plaid pattern seen on lumberjacks to grunge bands rounded out the nods to the PNW.” 

Mike says, “I chose Ethiopian beans for Super Thinker Roast because they consistently result in crowd-pleasing chocolate-y notes with less acidity than many other kinds. I roast it to a darker profile for a remarkably smooth caramel finish.”

The blend is evenly ground and poured into aluminum tallboy cans from Leikam Brewing in Southeast Portland. Simply pop the top and shake this unique coffee into your filter or French press. Mike recommends not brewing the grounds with boiling water though. Let it first cool down about 10 degrees or so, so you don’t scald it. 

The Seng-written/Keyes-designed label designates you as an official Super Thinker and supporting the ThinkNW mission. 

So how do you get your hands on Super Thinker Roast?

This fancy coffee isn’t for sale. You must score yours through our trivia contests and show how truly smart you are at ThinkNW Extremely Happy Hours. The top-score walks away with a freshly-packed can.

There was one lucky winner at our last Extremely Happy Hour in Boise, and your next chance is Thursday, April 25th at Leikam Brewing in Southeast Portland.

Thank you to Mike and Doug for creating something so wonderful, unique and flat-out delicious. 

Get to know Mike Seng here and Doug Keyes here. These two accomplished professionals are ready to take on your next creative projects with the same verve and excellence.