A lineup of MiiR x WCR vessels. Images courtesy of World Coffee Research.
The nonprofit World Coffee Research and portable drinkware MiiR have teamed up for an attractive lineup of vessels by which consumers can enjoy their daily coffee while also helping to plant some seeds for the coffee sector’s future success.
For the fundraising collaboration, Seattle-based MiiR leaned on the talents of botanical artist Lucy T. Smith and artist/illustrator Michael Buchino for the coffee-focused art featured on new water bottles, camp cups and tumblers.
wholesale pre-orders of the series has already pulled in nearly $20,000 for the nonprofit coffee research organization. Individual retail sales of the Miir x WCR vessels launched today.
A MiiR x WCR cup with original artwork from Lucy T. Smith.
“This has all unfolded very organically, and I think that is likely how it will evolve,” World Coffee Research Strategy and Communications Director Hanna Neuschwander told Daily Coffee News. “All of our funding from the coffee industry goes to our core programs: breeding, trials, and nursery/seed value chains. In 2022, WCR will launch its most exciting project to date — a global breeding network that will utilize modern genomic selection approaches to generate improved breeding populations for coffee breeding programs around the world.”
UK-based Smith, who has for over 20 years provided drawings for the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, created botanical drawings of the arabica coffee plant for the series. Michael Buchino, a Portland-based visual artist, contributed lively depictions of field, lab and sensory coffee research.
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As of this week, retail sales of the MiiR x WCR series have launched through multiple Intelligentsia Coffee outlets, as well as at shops and roasters in California, Washington, London and Berlin. WCR receives $8 for each vessel sold.
London-based Workshop Coffee, MiiR’s UK distribution partner, is the primary point of contact for the project that started accepting pre-orders in the fall.
A cup with artwork from Michael Buchino.
“We’re ecstatic and really proud of what this initiative has already generated for World Coffee Research,” Workshop Coffee CMO Richard Frasier said in an announcement of the series. “We’re enormous proponents of the continued work that they do, and the entire specialty coffee industry is a benefactor of their commitment to lab and field research.”
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Howard Bryman
Howard Bryman is the associate editor of Daily Coffee News by Roast Magazine. He is based in Portland, Oregon.
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