"I suppose there is no custom in our Army more adhered to than the one of brewing some coffee or hot chocolate just before bedtime, whenever soldiers are in a place where it is possible. (Incidentally, coffee was one gift the boys always liked to receive.) It was especially the custom there on the Anzio beachhead, where nearly everybody was dug in, and they could have a fire safely." - Ernie Pyle (WW2 combat correspondent)

In the same spirit of the morale series of ration boxes that the US military created during the war and in a more perfect world, a handleless mug like this would have greeted the USAAF crews at the end of a mission into the ETO (European Theater of Operations). Back on the ground and after a debrief, they might have painted a single bomb on their plane fuselage the single bomb indicating one more mission closer to rotation home. Printed on the bottom of each mug are the words "Bombs Away!" something that every crew flying longed to hear so they could leave the flak behind and head for home. Those words and the bomb logo will take on new meaning to those of you pushing through morning routines...and also a nod to the wry sense of humor so often present in bomber art of the time.  

A mug is only half the morning equation though. Without a caffeinated liquid to hold, it’s merely an empty vessel, purposeless. To ensure our mug would make an immediate AM impact, we reached out to Revelstoke coffee roastery in Concord, NH. A short drive inland from our SPAR Northern Detachment HQ, and on the route to our alpine proving grounds, Revelstoke was an ideal partner geographically and ethos wise. Working with them we zeroed in on an easy drinking and satisfying Columbian roast. It brings both complexity of flavor without being complicated. It hits the spot with or without a kicker. We think you’ll enjoy starting your mornings with it.