Blue & Gold Brewing Company strives to provide members with an opportunity to create products that represent Marquette traditions and culture.
This year the student-run business partnered with Stone Creek Coffee to launch a new line of holiday coffee that is now available to purchase.
The holiday box consists of 3.5 pounds of coffee bags ranging from a light to dark roast. The coffees have Marquette-inspired names like Jesuit Joe, Brew the Difference and Santa’s Revenge. The coffee bags are designed with blue and gold, Marquette’s colors. The bags also have Marquette landmarks on them, such as the Church of the Gesu and the Alumni Memorial Union.
The holiday box is available for purchase on Stone Creek’s website.
Blue & Gold Brewing LLC began in 2022 as an undergraduate applied learning program within the College of Business Administration. A group of four students are involved in every aspect of the business from supply chain logistics to advertising and marketing.
In the past, Blue & Gold Brewing has exclusively produced beer. The company released a golden ale titled “’77” inspired by Marquette men’s basketball’s national championship that year.
Stella Quinlan, a senior in the College of Communication and director of graphic design at Blue & Gold Brewing, said that the new coffee line is just the start of what the students have in store for the year.
“When this year’s coffee students joined the team, we were introduced to the idea of the holiday coffee and the new partnership with Stone Creek Coffee. With that being said, the holiday coffee box is an addition to B&G’s product offerings, so the plan is to release a new beer later this year as well,” Quinlan wrote in an email.
The process of creating and releasing the holiday coffee unfolded within the course of one month. Members of Blue & Gold Brewing were able to experience the roasting process of Stone Creek Coffee and taste a variety of possible coffee options. By Oct. 25, the coffee’s naming and packaging was finalized and the coffee became available for purchase Nov. 9.
Amy Balestrieri, the director of customer care and co-owner at Stone Creek Coffee, said one of the goals of the partnership was to facilitate a learning process for the students.
“The process primarily was to help the B&G team understand all things coffee and business operations in the coffee industry which involved many in-depth meetings and lots of chatting and learning. We had an early morning tasting coffee and picking the perfect roasts for this box. We also worked closely to help guide the very talented B&G designer, Stella, on the visual presentation of the box and the coffee labels,” Balestrieri wrote in an email.
Balestrieri said that she enjoyed working with the students in Blue & Gold Brewing throughout the whole process.
“We have been moving at a fast pace and the students have not missed a beat. It has been so inspiring! I have really enjoyed working with the B&G Faculty team and getting to know them as well as helping guide the students. They are truly talented individuals, and I am looking forward to seeing the growth as the year continues out and moving forward,” Balestrieri said.
With only 600 available holiday coffee boxes, Quinlan said they hope to sell out. However, Quinlan said it is possible that some of the coffee will be brought back and will be available year-round.
This story was written by Olivia Stanley. She can be reached at o[email protected].
