Throw Down: An Interview with Deneen Potters

When you’ve been fueling the rebellion against weak coffee as long as we have, you learn that the right mug isn’t just a vessel—it’s part of the ritual. For years, our limited-edition Deneen Pottery mugs have been a badge of honor among the bold: hand-thrown, kiln-fired, and tough enough to handle the boldest of brews. 

Our partnership with Deneen Pottery goes way back—built on shared craftsmanship, obsession with detail, and a love for doing things the hard (and right) way. Every mug tells a story, and together, we’ve told a lot of them. From skulls to seasonal releases, each piece has become a collector’s staple and a symbol of what happens when quality meets chaos. 

Our latest endeavor with them is dropping this week: 750 hyper-exclusive mystery mugs in 15 never-before-seen glazes. But we'll tell you all about that... 

We sat down with the team at Deneen Pottery (Niles, their fearless founder, Cassie, Head of Operations & Matt, Lead Glaze Mixing) to talk about how it all started, what goes into making these iconic mugs, and why this partnership continues to stand the test of time—one pour at a time. 

• How long has Deneen been around? 

  • Deneen Pottery was originally founded by Peter and Mary Deneen in 1972 and his son, Niles, took over as owner and President in 2020.

• Do you guys primarily sculpt mugs, or are there other things you work in as regularly?

  • The main thing we make is mugs! On average tankards make up to about 3-5% of our work and tableware is less than 1%.

• How many potters work at Deneen?

  • We currently have 95 staff members, 16 of which are  full time potters each throwing a minimum of 200 pots per day. Each mug goes through 24 pairs of hands from start to finish. 

• Is there a team that focuses on the mug shapes and another on glazes – or does everyone work together on that? 

  • We have two separate R&D teams, one for glaze formulation (led by Matt Quinn) and one for shape development (led by Cliff Price)

• When you guys are working on a design, how do you determine base glazes and rim glazes? Are there things you have to consider in making that decision?

  • Glazes are very different from paints. They melt and change in the kiln, so it is impossible to tell what they will look like until you’ve tested them. We glaze hundreds of test tiles and chipped/cracked mugs to understand how base glazes and marble glazes interact with each other.

• How do you come up with the names for them?

  • We usually let the creator of the glaze have first crack at it. If they don’t nail it we open it up to our customer support and operations team to brainstorm and have an informal vote. We like the name to reference the inspiration behind the glaze in addition to being descriptive.

• We just worked with you in developing 15 brand-new unique glazes that have never been utilized or sold before – is that correct? 

  • That is correct. 12 of the combinations utilize a brand new glaze and the remaining 3 were combinations of existing glazes that had never been sold before.

• What was the process like for developing these new glazes?

  • Glazes need to be made to fit the clay they will be applied to. Each one needs to be chemically analyzed and altered over many iterations to get the perfect effect. Once we get a result we like we need to make sure it can be applied efficiently over 100s or 1000s of mugs while getting a consistent look.

• Is there one you like best our people should keep an eye out for? 

  • Definitely be on the lookout for a glaze called Oil Spot. At first glance it just appears black, but when you look closer you’ll notice metallic flecks of iron oxide on the surface. It’s our version of a highly sought after ancient Chinese glaze

• Beyond the ones we talked about today that are coming soon, have you developed any unique mug shapes or glazes for DWC before? (we know the answer is a HELL YES)

  • DWC has been a great partner in coming to us with unique ideas that stretch our creative minds away from the standard day to day work that we do. Each year we get to collaborate with the DWC team to develop the next DWC Annual mug style. We also get a few times each year to be even more creative with different applications based on the medallion art and theme of your releases. The Loki Golden Ticket mugs were a lot of fun for our team and one of my personal favorites!

• Do you have a favorite or have any gone on to be used beyond our mug collection with you guys?

  • If you ask each of our team members you will get a different answer for their favorite shape or glaze, however some of the shapes that have been initially designed for DWC have ended up in our standard catalog offerings as they have a wide appeal for a lot of different sectors of customers. From the last few years the Judge, the Amp, and the Splitrock mugs have all made it into our Signature mug collection. 

• How about favorite medallions – you guys have seen almost a decade of designs come past your desk. Did you have any favorites? 

  • There are so many great designs there is no way to pick just one! Your artists are amazing and we love to explore the detail put into each design.

• Did you ever receive a request from us that made you want to burn our headquarters down? (thinking possibly the massive Stanley Cup mug we asked for last minute... you guys are the best)

  • The Stanley Cup was a heavy lift (no pun intended!), but most of the requests we receive are reviewed with a critical production eye and whether or not we believe we can achieve a quality piece within the specifications and timeframe allotted. We plan out the majority of the calendar year early so for most requests we are able to figure out how to achieve the desired end result, within the confines of pottery. The one that actually proved the most challenging was the Firefly Golden Ticket glow-in-the-dark glaze. During testing we were fairly successful, but at a larger scale we did have some trouble getting the glaze to come out perfect. That’s the nature of the beast when it comes to ceramics and glazes made from organic materials, not every firing turns out the same as the last.

• You guys have been a steadfast partner for the long haul. You know us well. Is there anything you think we've missed the boat on or should be making by way of mugs or the like? Maybe a medallion you've dreamed of, or a drinking vessel we have yet to conquer? 

  • I appreciate you asking — and honestly, the feeling is mutual. Death Wish has been one of our longest and most loyal partners, and it’s been incredible to watch your brand grow while staying true to its roots.
    When it comes to “what’s next,” we’ve always believed in staying focused on what we do best — mugs. That’s where our craftsmanship really shines. If there’s an opportunity we’ve missed, it’s probably in giving your fans a behind-the-scenes look at how their mug is made — from a lump of clay to the finished piece.
    Beyond that, we think you’ve already conquered most vessels worth drinking from — and we’re just proud to keep making the ones your fans reach for every morning.

A love like this comes but once a lifetime, and we're with these guys 'til death do us part. Stay tuned for more madness with the potters at Deneen, including the Mystery Mug release this Halloween!  
 
The Deetz: 750 LIMITED mugs in 15 unique glazes. Each mug will be a surprise to those who purchase them, with a randomly selected glaze being shipped per purchase. Which will you get?
Be ready on 10/31....