Mugs up to you! 

By Lisa Frania, Guest Blogger

Meet Amy Graham of Salt Lake City, UT 

Sword fighter, mug collector and long-time DWC subscriber, Amy’s stash of 22 DWC mugs would make anyone jealous! And she’d probably (and quite literally) fight you for ‘em! 

For good reason, Amy has a favorite in her collection. “I LOVE the Rosie mug. . . . I am a fighter, a sword fighter as a matter of fact, and it's not typically something a woman does, especially at my age. Rosie was a beacon of hope for our team when we were getting started (female fighters had only been able to compete since 2014, and I was one of the first US fighters to compete internationally at the world championships). Many of the USA fighters found inspiration from that iconic image, and when the mug came up—I knew I had to have it.” 

Amy had recently retired from the USA Women's Team due to injury. Just after recovering from having nerve blocks done in her neck and quite literally walking in the door, Amy went to the mailbox (after tracking the DWC shipment from the hospital) and was greeted by a box labeled “Fragile.”  

“Winning the mug was a HUGE boost that day and I was so excited!”  Amy now proudly owns both versions—the regular AND the Golden Ticket version. “It's the only mug I own two of.” 
 

Meet Josh Rikard of Denver, NC  

Introducing Josh . . . a self-proclaimed DWC fanatic! 

Even though Josh dated a girl who worked for another coffee company at the time, she always wanted to try Death Wish Coffee so he surprised her with a pound, not realizing what he was about to get himself into.  

“After she brewed that first cup of Death Wish [Coffee], I was hooked.”

Then after several years of being down on his luck with a new relationship, career, and car issues, he just needed something to go his way. Browsing Instagram, he saw that the Labor Day Giveaway was two Grind It Out Til Death mugs and a patch. 

When a box arrived (much larger than expected), Josh said, “My heart started to race. I have never won anything in my life, and let me tell you, it couldn't have come at a better time!” 

After that, life quickly went from “mug down” to “mug up!”  Josh said he found a job, bought a house, and everything just turned around.  

He still has his golden tickets stored away. “They are like my little good luck charms! Seeing those golden tickets, the mugs, and the patch, along with my coffee, it was just the start of something big. I don't know how you guys pick winners, but I feel like my lucky stars were aligned that day. So thank you guys! It meant the absolute world to me when I needed it the most!” 

Meet Chad Laxina of Norwalk, CA 

A long-distance dedication to Death Wish Coffee propelled Chad’s St. Patrick’s Day mug prize. When he was in the Philippines taking care of his family business after losing his dad, Chad’s Golden Ticket came with his purchase of the Undying Love mug. 

“I chose the undying love mug because of the green color, my favorite NBA team is the Boston Celtics and the Golden Ticket mug is a St. Patrick’s mug. I thought maybe the luck of the Irish will be on my side.” 

Because he was out of the country, he asked his brother to open the delivered package and take a picture of the expected mug.  

“Took me like a minute to realize I won one of the Golden Ticket mugs. To this day, I’m still excited about it every time I take my mug out of the box to show it off or to take a picture of it. Such an exciting experience winning a Golden Ticket mug from Death Wish [Coffee].” 

Meet Tom Scannel of Las Vegas, NV

Tom recalls that for him it was an instant love affair with Death Wish Coffee. But besides drinking the kick*ss coffee, collecting mugs quickly became another passion. 

“I discovered the mugs and this growing community that shared the same love for the brand. The mug thing is somewhat of an obsession. I scramble to get every release, watching my text alerts and emails. And when it drops... BAM—I'm on it! Then... the wait. It’s like Christmas when it arrives. Ripping open the box to see what number I got! So exciting! Lol.” 

When the box arrived, he described, “My hands were trembling. I carefully opened this one. And low and behold there it was. Wow! I actually won finally! I’m part of the Mug Elite!” 

The Society of Strong Coffee mug has found its home on the top shelf of Tom’s Death Wish Coffee mug cabinet, proudly displayed front and center. “I got a lot of inbox messages from others wanting to purchase or trade for it...but, no way..., this baby is home. And now, I still hope every time that I'm gonna come home and find that big ‘Fragile’ box waiting for me.” 

Meet Nate Vaughan of Moore, OK

“I got a Golden Ticket! Thank you Death Wish Coffee Company for the awesome limited edition mug and for honoring the men and women who serve our country. From our military family to you, thank you!” Drinking Death Wish Coffee is like the Vaughan household religion. Nate (and his wife Becca) couldn’t contain their excitement after winning a Memorial Day Mug and went to Facebook to share: 

“I got a Golden Ticket! Thank you Death Wish Coffee Company for the awesome limited edition mug and for honoring the men and women who serve our country. From our military family to you, thank you!”