Dellavedova's signature "G'Day Mate" coffee shipping Down Under soon
Australian coffee joints --coffee capital Melbourne especially-- might want to look into Matthew Dellavedova's latest venture. The affable Cleveland guard has partnered with a local Cleveland coffee roaster to produce a unique coffee blend named the G'Day Mate blend, with a portion of the proceeds to go to charity.
https://twitter.com/clevelandcoffee/status/691719627538337795
Make no mistake, this isn't some generic coffee that's merely named after Delly. The G'Day Mate coffee blend is actually customised by Delly himself, and according to the Cleveland Coffee Company website, is a specialty grade Arabica coffee made up of Peruvian and Sumatra coffees.
Dellavedova, true to his Australian roots, has been known for his pregame ritual of drinking coffee, but was forced to eschew the ritual during Game 4 of the NBA Finals last year, following a case of post-game dehydration after Game 3, during which he'd had his caffeine hit before the game, and at half-time.
"[The coffee is] not a good thing, probably, for your hydration," He had commented afterwards, before Game 4 tipped off.
Following that brief state of abstinence in the Finals, Delly's coffee routine has resumed once more this season. During a teleconference with Australian media in January, Delly confirmed coffee is very much his pregame drink of choice. "Yes, I'll continue [drinking coffee]. There's research that having coffee or caffeine 45-50 mins before can help improve a number of things. I'm sticking with it."
The idea for Dellavedova's own coffee blend came from an observation by the Cleveland Coffee Company's owner himself. “During one of the Cavs playoff games last year, I noticed that coffee was Delly’s drink of choice, so I approached him with the idea of branding his own coffee,” said Brendan Walton, owner and local entrepreneur.
Dellavedova eventually made his way to Walton's warehouse in December with his girlfriend, Anna, and sampled the variety at hand, selecting the beans that became the G'Day Mate.
“Brendan explained a lot of things I never knew about coffee and what goes into roasting it – where he gets his beans from and things like that," Delly explained during a recent interview with Cavs beat writer Joe Gabriele. "It’s a really interesting process if you drink coffee; to know the journey it takes before it gets into your mug.”
During an interview with The Plain Dealer's Janet Cho, Walton elaborated on the kind of coffee the G'Day Mate is, and how it would appeal to coffee drinkers, especially those that take it black, which is the way Delly likes it.
"It's a medium dark roast that can be enjoyed all day, as a morning blend or after dinner, because it has a mild acidity with a nice snap to it," Walton said. "People enjoy its full-bodied, velvety texture, so they don't even need cream."
It should be noted that 10% of the sales proceeds for Delly's G'Day Mate coffee blend go to All Faiths Pantry, a Cleveland non-profit that operates mobile pantries and delivers groceries to individuals with limited mobility.
The G'Day Mate coffee blend is available for purchase right now, up until the end of June. It can be found in various Cleveland retail outlets, and more importantly online via the Cleveland Coffee Company's website. We have reached out and confirmed with the Cleveland Coffee Company that international shipping is indeed in the plans, and might be available as early as next week.
https://twitter.com/clevelandcoffee/status/705589315137576961
If you're looking to get your morning cuppa with the G'Day Mate, it might be worth checking in with your local barista and see if they're keen on making it happen.
Don't miss SB Nation's Harrison Faigen's review of the Dellavedova blend as well, this review certainly makes the coffee sound like it's got Delly's essence down pat.
"The coffee’s taste is strong with an intangible quality that is good, but can’t really be quantified. (Sounds about right.)"
Follow Matthew Dellavedova on Twitter at @matthewdelly, and The Cleveland Coffee Company can also be found on Twitter at @clevelandcoffee.