Defiant Coffee has made quite a splash in Coeur d’ Alene with the beverage industry and its unique approach to functional coffee drinks. Owner and founder, Ronnie Watson uses a carefully selected, organic, medium roast coffee combined with fruiting body extracts of Lion’s Mane, Chaga, and Cordyceps mushrooms to create what he calls, “100% Organic Upgraded Coffee” that delivers a boost of energy, mental focus, and immune support without the jitters. Defiant coffee beans are also roasted in small batches daily to ensure a fresh, consistent, quality roast in every batch. Ronnie’s artistry and attention to detail in his craft shine through Defiant’s Nitro-Infused Cold Brews. These ready-to-drink cold coffee beverages are never pasteurized and remain cold from brew to customer. Ronnie uses re-mineralized water to cold brew the coffee and enhances the flavor before it’s infused with nitrogen gas which creates tiny bubbles and a naturally sweet, creamy texture. Nitro cold brew coffee also has lower acidity and can be gentler on the stomach. Ronnie has designed two kinds of nitro cold brews: one infused with collagen and MCT oil and the other with 1,500 milligrams of functional mushrooms. Both drinks promote energy, focus, and physical wellness with no jitters or crashes. Ronnie has a vision of owning a very successful beverage company. He built Defiant Coffee from the ground up while working another fulltime job and being there for his family. As Ronnie says, “I am a father and my kids always come first and that meant getting up before anyone to work on my passion project or working after everyone was asleep.” He did everything from mixing ingredients to bagging product before heading to his full-time day job. Ronnie also personally ships every online order and even includes a handwritten thank you note to each customer. What’s next for Defiant Coffee? The biggest news is that Ronnie has left his other job! It’s now full steam ahead for Ronnie to focus on Defiant Coffee and expand the product line. He plans to launch a dark roast mushroom coffee blend as well as new on-the-go beverages with nootropics and adaptogen herbs. He is even planning to create a line of sparkling drinks without coffee, so stay tuned! Ronnie also invested in a refrigerated van to distribute his cold brews at optimum temperature. On the side of his vehicle, it reads, “NEVER GIVE UP, NEVER GIVE IN”. Ronnie adds, “Remain Defiant toward the negativity that holds you back, follow your gut, and give it all you got”. Creating products and building a brand is not easy but Ronnie wouldn’t have it any other way. As always, I had to ask Ronnie, “What’s your favorite Defiant drink?” He immediately replied, “Cold brew mushroom blend because it’s smooth, low acidic, and packs a punch. My favorite is the coffee mushroom blend because it makes a great-tasting cup of coffee with that functional mushroom kick for added benefit. But I am looking forward to trying the dark roast version as soon as it’s available. You can find Defiant Mushroom Coffee Blend in our Bulk Coffee section and Defiant Nitro Infused Cold Brews in aisle #9 at Pilgrim’s. Thank you for shopping local!
-Julie, Floor Manager