Review: Grounds & Hound Coffee Co.’s The Dog Sleeps in My Bed

(2024) Dogs, like bikes, start out with a firm set of rules. Slowly the lifestyle is absorbed and those non-negotiables get thrown out. Let’s say one gets a puppy for the bike shop. The firm rule on the new dog is that s/he must sleep in the crate every night. Then the dog is no longer crate required, but must sleep downstairs. Then puppy eyes convince the chance to sleep upstairs (so long as it’s in a dog bed). And then one night, the dog goes for it - there’s the thudding leap, the survey of the bed situation, the three rotations to get comfortable, a slight hesitation to lay down, then the collapse into a ball. That’s pretty much how dogs manipulate bed ownership.

Here at creakybottombracket.com we are fans of shop dogs. We’ve worked at shops that had little dogs and big dogs. Some were mutts while a few were clearcut breeds. Some barked at customers, creating awkward scenes, while others couldn’t be bothered to interact with shoppers. Now add coffee into the mix, which is how we ordered up a bag of beans from Grounds & Hounds Coffee Co. Grounds & Hounds mission is to support rescue initiatives and organizations that provide dogs a second chance. According to Grounds & Hounds, twenty percent of their profits go towards fulfilling their mission.

Their mission to date is remarkable. As of publication (2/29/24), Grounds & Hounds has provided over 24 thousand toys, 22 thousand vaccines, four million shelter meals, nearly one thousand spay/ neuter surgeries, and 16 thousand microchips. No doubt Grounds and Hounds will continue to add to those totals each time we check in.

Yet the convincing does not end there - we settled on a dark roast blend called The Dog Sleeps in My Bed. Per the site, the cupping notes were just the thing for the recent winter days. Notes of milk chocolate, toasted vanilla, graham cracker, and walnut had us wondering if these weren't s’mores in a bag. But the red sticker on the front grabbed our attention. The Dog Sleeps in My Bed comes fired up with 1.5 times the caffeine. Theoretically that's a rocket on moped territory. It was exciting to place an order (we request a tin of tennis balls be sent to a Jack Russell Terrier waiting to be adopted as our give-back if anyone is listening), knowing it was a small advancement toward Grounds & Hounds mission.

Here at the creakybottombracket.com office, coffee flows regularly, and after a few cold nights with a dog in the bed, the extra caffeine was sought. The beans were slightly oily as they tumbled into the burr grinder; the grinds were a vibrant golden brown. Brewed in both drip coffee and Chemex, it was nice to have a cup that was low in acidity. The cupping notes were subtle, possibly because of the extra caffeine. The coffee at the office tends to be brewed strong to begin with, so concocting a newer, wilder ratio was not considered. Meanwhile cup after cup was poured to test where the caffeine fence was. It was remarkable not to experience the anxious jitters that could have come from being over caffeinated. The shop dog looked on from the first floor dog bed as each cup was consumed. Our paths on the day would split here: he would sleep while I tore around, finding myself suddenly productive. 

What’s not to love about supporting Grounds & Hounds when the company donates to shelter dogs, beans that provide lasting firepower through the day, and hark an ode to one of the enjoyable parts of dog ownership - getting wedged out of bed in the middle of the night. We even added a Grounds & Hounds sweatshirt and sticker to the order to further the support. Coffee also starts with a firm set of rules: first one samples a company, then purchases a bag of beans, before becoming coffee club members. Grounds & Hounds coffee rests on the countertop regularly.