Where the Water Meets the Roast

FROM THE WATER UP: INSIDE REEL FISHING ROASTERS

Reel Fishing Roasters was built where two long-held passions meet: time on the water and a really good cup of coffee. For the family behind RFR, those two things were never far apart. Marvin raised his sons, Matt and Doug, fishing, hunting, and spending time outdoors, and that connection only deepened as they went on to attend the United States Merchant Marine Academy and build careers as Merchant Mariners. Along the way, their appreciation for quality coffee grew just as naturally as their love for the water.

That intersection became the foundation for RFR. Not just a coffee brand, but a brand shaped by memory, ritual, and authenticity. As they describe it, Reel Fishing Roasters is about being real in everything they do: real relationships, real craft, and real community. The name is a nod to where they come from as a family, but also a promise that what is in the bag was made with genuine care.

At its core, RFR is about connection. Their hope is that every cup calls people back to great memories made on the water with family and friends, and helps create a few new ones too.

COFFEE AS PART OF THE RITUAL

RFR’s identity is deeply tied to the outdoors, and especially to fishing culture. You can see it in the names of their coffees, in the hand-crafted artwork on each bag, and in the warm, community-driven voice of the brand. But more than anything, you can feel it in the moments they build their coffee around.

For them, coffee has always been part of the experience. It is the thermos filled before anyone else is awake, the smell that hits when you are rigging up in the dark, and the first sip while the water starts to come alive at sunrise. It is there when you are launching a skiff at first light, setting up camp the night before a long day outside, or waiting on the tide to change with nowhere else you need to be.

That idea of slowing down and being present is central to the brand. RFR is not just selling coffee—they are selling the feeling of being unhurried on the water. The kind of moment that feels meaningful, simple, and exactly where you are supposed to be.

ROASTED TO ORDER, FRESHNESS FIRST

That same intentionality shows up in how RFR approaches coffee itself. Their roasting philosophy is straightforward: roasted to order, small-batch, and freshness-first. Instead of roasting in bulk, they roast each order after it is placed so customers receive coffee at its freshest and most flavorful.

They also work to keep the lineup approachable without sacrificing quality. Whether someone is a serious coffee drinker or just wants a great daily cup, RFR aims to make coffee that feels welcoming, consistent, and enjoyable. In their view, the perfect cup is one you do not have to overthink, it is just right. Clean, full, satisfying, and even better when the setting does some of the work too.

For this collaboration with VSSL, they chose their Medium Roast, the top seller and what they see as the perfect introduction to Reel Fishing Roasters. It is the foundation for all of their flavored roasts, but it also stands on its own as a smooth, easy-drinking coffee with notes of caramel and hazelnut. It is meant to be enjoyable from the first sip to the last, whether you are brewing it outside for the first time or making it part of your regular routine.

When it comes to brewing, their recommendation is simple: jet boil and pour over. If you are bringing whole beans, pack the Java G25. And in true RFR fashion, they will tell you the real secret is the setting, something like the bow of a skiff at sunrise, waiting for the flood tide to fill in.

BUILT FOR COMMUNITY

While RFR is naturally at home with anglers and outdoor-minded people, the brand is not limited to them. In their eyes, it is for anyone who loves a great cup of coffee and wants it to mean something. You do not need to own a rod and reel to connect with the craft, the story, or the lifestyle behind it.

That storytelling is one of the strongest threads running through the brand. From the founding family story to the artwork on the bags to the names and descriptions of the roasts, everything is designed to connect the coffee to a broader outdoor experience and community.

That sense of responsibility also extends beyond the bag. RFR supports the fishing and outdoor community through partnerships with outfitters, lodges, and like-minded businesses, and they invest directly in conservation efforts as part of the brand’s mission. As they grow, their goal is not to get bigger by becoming distant. It is to bring more people into what they have already built, more people around the campfire, more people connected by good coffee, and more people who feel at home near the water.

LIMITED-TIME PROMOTION

From now through April 24, customers who spend $125 or more on our website will receive a free bag of Reel Fishing Roasters Medium Roast, while supplies last.

It is a simple way to bring a great coffee into your setup, whether you are brewing at camp, on the road, on the water, or just starting your day at home. Fresh-roasted, approachable, and built around the kind of moments that matter, RFR is a natural fit for a VSSL brew kit.

Because sometimes the best cup is about more than just flavor. It is about the ritual, the place, and the people you think about when you take that first sip.