Stars Who Sip: 7 Celebrities With Coffee Lines Slideshow
After Grace Hightower, Robert DeNiro's longtime love, saw Hotel Rwanda, she felt urged to create a coffee company whose profits would be given back directly to the hard-working local farmers the African country. The result is Grace Hightower & Coffees of Rwanda, a line of four coffee blends that celebrate and support the coffee farmers. Through customs like direct sourcing, fair trade, ethical practices, and environmental stewardship, the brand hopes to create a sustainable business that can be passed down through generations. The coffees are available for purchase online and in certain supermarkets, like Whole Foods.
Patrick Dempsey and Tully's Coffee
Patrick Dempsey, Nascar enthusiast and actor known for his "McDreamy" role as Dr. Derek Shepherd on Grey's Anatomy, has jumped through hurdles to prove his love to Tully's Coffee. In fact, in late June, he and his investor group officially acquired Tully's Coffee and its 48 locations in Washington and California for the mere price of $9.15 million. This follows a six month-long battle for ownership after the coffee company filed for bankrupcy in October 2012.
Hugh Jackman and Laughing Man Coffee & Tea
Hugh Jackman may be known for his role as Wolverine, but he proves to have a gentler side through charitable acts like Laughing Man Coffee & Tea. Jackman is one of the founders of the brand, which gives 100 percent of the worldwide revenue to education, community development, and new business development. On the website, he says, "I don't think it matters whether you have a celebrity profile or not. We all want to contribute in the most effective and practical way we can at work, in the community, or in our home... I started the Laughing Man marketplace to highlight the stories of the entrepreneurs willing to help others and the people who share in their success."
Leonardo DiCaprio and La Colombe Coffee Roasters
Leonard DiCaprio can add coffee affiliation to his growing list of humanitarian acts. He has a charitable alliance with La Colombe Coffee, which has resulted in the Lyon blend. Purchases of Lyon make a significant impact on projects concerning the defense of lands and oceans, the protection of clean water, the aid of endangered species, aid disaster relief, and the support of alternative and green energy efforts. The blend is directly sourced and uses sustainably grown coffees from Haiti, Peru, Ethiopia, and Brazil.
David Lynch Signature Coffees
Four-time Oscar-nominated Director David Lynch is famous for movies such as Mulholland Dr. and The Elephant Man, but people may know that he also has a line of signature coffee blends. He says himself that he is "obsessed with coffee," drinking it on a regular basis since the 9th grade. After finding a coffee that he consistently loved after numerous blind taste-tests, he contacted the company, varied it slightly, and created David Lynch Signature Cup Coffee. "And I really like it very much," he says.
George Jones and Possum Coffee
This possum coffee is not made from droppings of animals like some of the world's most expensive blends. Instead, it's named for the late country music icon George Jones, whose nickname was Ol' Possum. The beans are roasted in Williamson, Tenn. and come in a 16-ounce bag of ground or whole beans. The bags are available for purchase on an online store run by his family.
Joey Kramer and Rockin' & Roastin' Coffee
The Aerosmith drummer has been doing more than just rockin'. Kramer first launched the coffee line in 2012, after his search for the perfect brew fell flat. While on a break from Aerosmith's summer world tour, Kramer has been hard at work hitting the presses with Comfort Foods in Massachusetts to seal his very first retail partnerships with area grocers. Kramer's expertly developed line of sustainable coffees (two dark roasts from Sumatra and Ethiopia, and a "Dark-Medium" roast hailing from Guatemala) will be available in mid-August at all Roche Bros. and Dave's Fresh Marketplace locations.