"A" Mountain Roast is a nod to the "A" atop Tortugas Mountain that is maintained by the schoolNew Mexico State Univ.
New Mexico State last week announced a collaboration with S.F.-based Estas Manos Coffee Roasters on a school-themed coffee called "'A' Mountain Roast," according to Ron Davis of ALBUQERQUE BUSINESS FIRST. The coffee became available for purchase online and through retailers around Las Cruces, N.M., on Dec. 22, and a "portion of the proceeds will go toward NMSU's athletic department." The name "A" Mountain Roast is a "nod to the 'A' on top of Tortugas Mountain that's maintained by the university since the 1920s." NMSU in November partnered with Las Cruces-based Dry Point Distillers to create the "Pistol Pete’s Six-Shooter whiskey." NMSU's athletic department "began licensing consumables like 'A' Mountain Roast, Pistol Pete’s whiskey and Pistol Pete’s 1888 Ale in 2017." NMSU AD Mario Moccia said that Collegiate Licensing Co. "set a 12% licensing fee for consumable products as opposed to 8% for apparel." NMSU athletics reportedly lost $3.4M in revenue in '20 (BIZJOURNALS.com, 12/28). DAILY COFFEE NEWS' Nick Brown wrote it is "rare" for colleges and universities to "delve into the branded beverage business, but the NMSU coffee product follows previous licensed products all benefitting the athletic department." Rather than "nodding to NMSU's ridiculous gun-toting cowboy caricature logo Pistol Pete, the coffee product refers more to the university's heritage as an agricultural school" (DAILYCOFFEENEWS.com, 12/22).
