Coffee and camaraderie by the cup

Lisa Haefs

Contributor

November 11, 2024

EAGLE RIVER – Dan Beihoff said there’s no such thing as an average joe at Eagle River Roasters. 

From customers to coffee, he said attention to detail is the key to creating a great experience.

“Our passion for offering an extra special cup of extraordinary coffee to our patrons drives us,” Beihoff, who founded the shop and adjoining roastery, said. “Our beans are sourced from around the world so that we can offer a world of flavor in one cup. Our customers deserve the best.”

For two decades, he said Eagle River Roasters (339 W. Pine St.) has been an evolving business in a fast-growing segment of the Northwoods.

“It’s a great business to be in, and it’s a good area to live in,” Beihoff said. “The whole community up here has just been fantastic.”

A native of Milwaukee, Beihoff said after an extensive tenure working for his family’s business – Beihoff Music Company – he, his wife Susan and their four children moved to Eagle River in 1993 to try something new. 

“I said that if I was going to work that hard, I wanted it to be for myself,” Beihoff said. “I wanted to do something different and to move to Rhinelander or Eagle River, even though I had only been up here once, on an opening day fishing weekend in the 1970s.”

The couple said they initially planned to purchase a resort, but then learned a local gift shop was for sale. 

After purchasing the gift shop property, Beihoff said running it was a natural fit, thanks to his background in retail.

However, between his love for coffee and knack for recognizing retail trends, he said he decided to add a coffee roaster and drive-thru kiosk to the shop in 2002.

The roast is history

The coffee caught on, Beihoff said, and by 2007 prominent drive-thru and roaster sales convinced him to transition the business to a full-on coffee house.

“Since we had opened the gift shop, the community transitioned from transient visitors and more toward people with second homes or those able to work from home,” he said. “Those people didn’t need gifts, but coffee. It was a good move at the time.”

Beihoff said the decision corresponded with Starbucks’ rise to prominence, as tastes for lattes, espressos and coffeehouse culture spread inland from the coasts.

“Starbucks built the industry,” he said. “But they left a lot of room for small specialty independents like us.”

Beihoff said he invested time and money into mastering the arts of roasting, testing and cupping varieties of coffee, using a “well-seasoned” drum roaster from Germany.

“The first time I fired it up, I had never roasted a bean before in my life,” he said. “But when you’re throwing 25 pounds of beans at a time in the dumpster because you made a mistake, you tend to learn quickly.”

Gradually becoming a master of the trade, Beihoff said he eventually became a member of the Specialty Coffee Association and Roasters Guild and created a signature line of artisan blend coffees and espresso.

He said he credits networking with coffee roasters from across the nation for his continual improvement.

“When I travel, I go to coffeehouses every chance I get,” he said. “I love talking coffee. There is a real camaraderie in the industry.”

Beihoff said Eagle River Roasters sources its high-quality beans from around the globe to achieve “a fascinating mix” of coffee beans with uniquely regional flavor profiles. 

For example, he said, the volcanic soil of Indonesia produces a heavy-bodied, deep roast bean, while Central American varieties tend to be lighter flavored, compared to African beans with hints of cardamom, cinnamon and other spices.

“Those flavors are buried in the bean depending on the area where it was raised,” Beihoff said. “It’s an agricultural product, not something stamped out of a machine, so it is ever-changing. Moisture and temperature also play a part. Beans grown one year in an area may have a completely different flavor profile the next season.”

An apt comparison, he said, can be made to fine wine, as ingredients from different regions, grown under different conditions and variations of blends make for constant experimentation.

Among the choices available at Eagle River Roasters, Beihoff said the dark, aromatic BuckSnort blend is a customer favorite, as is the signature espresso blend Night Owl. 

Other options include Black Bear, Northern Lights, Eagle Blend and an array of flavored seasonal varieties.

“We try to name all our coffees after the Northwoods, with artwork on the bags to match,” Beihoff said. “It’s popular with our customers looking for gifts.”

The third place

The coffee shop is managed by Beihoff’s daughter, Elena, he said, and offers a range of cappuccinos, lattes and mochas – which are available hot, iced or blended, all featuring Eagle River Roasters’ coffee. 

Hot and iced teas and tisanes are also available, he said, as are edible options like baked goods, quiche and breakfast and lunch sandwiches on the menu.

The coffeehouse has a children’s play area, free Wi-Fi and plenty of space for morning meetings and lunchtime get-togethers, Beihoff said, as part of his goal of creating a true gathering space.

“As craft small-batch coffee roasters, our personal values are reflected in how we operate and directly impact the people and community,” he said. “Through our work, we support and share in the efforts of local nonprofit groups, churches, student organizations, job training for those with special needs, social outreach programs and ministries.”

Beihoff said Eagle River Roasters has provided custom blends and labels for philanthropic organizations, such as Angel on My Shoulder and Families for Russian and Ukrainian Adoption, as well as for fundraising opportunities for schools, churches and other organizations.

In addition to the shop and drive-thru, Beihoff said Eagle River Roasters’ coffees are available online and through area retailers. 

Beihoff said he also supplies other independent coffee houses.

Today, the allure of the coffee remains simple, he said, likening the concept to that of the “third place” from Ray Oldenberg’s 1989 book, “The Great Good Place.” 

Per Oldenberg’s characterization, third places are locations facilitating pleasant social interaction outside of home or work encouraging public relaxation, replete with “regulars” or frequenters of a space, potential new connections and freedom from expectations of productivity.

“That’s what we are striving to be,” Beihoff said.

But above all, he said, Eagle River Roasters is all about a better cup of joe.

“If you know better, you demand better,” he said. “You drink it every day, so drink the good stuff.”

Find details about the roaster, shop and coffee blends at eagleriverroasters.com.