Drinklings Coffee Roasters

Drinklings Coffee Roasters is an independent specialty coffee company headquartered in Wilmore, Kentucky. Founded in 2016, the business originated as a small-scale operation run from the home of its owners, Randy Hardman and Andrew Eberhart. Initially conceived as a hobby-based venture, the company began by roasting coffee on a back deck and selling custom-designed mugs online, with a brand identity deeply rooted in the legacy of The Inklings—the famous literary society that included C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. This intellectual and communal inspiration remains central to the company's mission, which emphasizes hospitality, conversation, and the cultivation of fellowship through coffee.

The transition from a home-based hobby to a brick-and-mortar establishment marked a significant evolution for the brand. In 2017, the founders began selling their roasted beans more broadly, and they eventually opened a physical coffeehouse on Main Street in Wilmore. The shop is designed to reflect the company's rustic and modern aesthetic, featuring exposed brick, wood rafters, and a space intended to encourage patrons to slow down and engage with one another. This physical location serves as a hub for the local community, serving customers in Central Kentucky while maintaining an e-commerce presence that ships coffee across the United States.

Drinklings is perhaps best known for its signature Oxford Blend, a product that has achieved notable success in regional competitions, including winning the People's Choice award at the Lexington Cold Brew Fest three times. The company’s product lineup includes a variety of single-origin coffees, seasonal roasts, and decaf options, all of which are roasted to order to ensure freshness. Beyond coffee, the brand maintains a consistent focus on merchandise that ties into its literary and community-focused themes, offering apparel and custom mugs that align with its "coffee for imagination and fellowship" philosophy.

Operationally, the company has expanded its reach through a wholesale program, which supplies coffee to various cafes, churches, and businesses. This "242 Wholesale" program is marketed as a way for organizations to source ethically produced coffee while supporting the company's broader mission of community building. The roastery emphasizes the importance of sourcing quality beans, aiming to provide a product that serves as an invitation to conversation rather than just a commodity beverage.

Throughout its growth, the company has maintained a focus on the social aspects of the coffee industry. By positioning itself as a "third place" for the residents of Wilmore, Drinklings has integrated itself into the local social fabric. The owners have frequently cited the intimacy of their small-town location as a key factor in their ability to foster the kind of community-centric environment they envisioned when they first started roasting on their back deck nearly a decade ago.

As the company approaches its tenth anniversary, it continues to balance its identity as a local roaster with its broader ambitions for national reach. While the business has undergone a significant metamorphosis from its origins as a mug company, its core values—hospitality, literature, and the belief that coffee should facilitate meaningful human connection—remain the primary drivers of its operations and brand strategy.