I’m former Special Forces Operator, CIA Contractor and CEO of Black Rifle Coffee Company. Ask me Anything… That’s declassified.

Why do you not support the group Special Operation Veterans against child abuse?

I'm not aware of the organization. But, depending on the mission and the people involved, I wouldn't be against supporting them.

Did you fight in Iraq? If so, do you believe invading was a mistake?

I was on the invasion of Iraq. At this point, I would say that the way the invasion and post-invasion was conducted was a failure. It didn't feel like it at the time; however, with the rise of ISIS and the destabilized Middle eastern countries. I would classify it as a failure.

Hey man! What was the funniest thing to happen to you while on deployment?

I used to play a lot of jokes on people. I would pick dudes up on flight lines pretending to be their boss and making them super uncomfortable.

Have you been in contact with Joe Rogan about going on his podcast? I'd love to hear you guys talk.

I've never met Rogan. I'd love to meet him. I'm an avid listener of his podcast. He and I have a lot of mutual friends between Tait Fletcher from Caveman Coffee, Cam Hanes to one of our athletes here at BRCC, Andy Stumpf.

Have you had any encounters/experience with the French Foreign Legion? If so, what was it like?

I have never had an experience with them.

I heard rumor you guys were moving to Texas. Any truth to this? If yes, where in Texas?

Yessir. We are moving to Dallas/Ft. Worth.

Hey Evan, been following you and Matt since “how to workout like an operator”. (You’re my DNR by the way.) -Anyways, when will we start seeing things from Disruptive Intent? -Also, have you decided where your new HQ is going to be yet? -Third question. Is Sasquatch real?

Thanks.

We are moving the company to Dallas/Ft Worth in the next several months. DI never got off the ground. We decided to focus on BRCC.

With the rate of growth that BRCC is seeing, when do you expect to start building brick & mortar stores around the country like you have spoke on in the past?

We are. We have partnered with a larger franchise to build out several franchise locations next year around the country.

Was Hitler really living in Colombia in the 1950's?

Who knows. I will have to ask Tim Kennedy.

Do you refer to JT as Jimmy John's Jared, or (by far the gayest sounding nickname) "Yellow Dart"?

Also, how's your dick after Range 15?

Love what you're doing, love the coffee, keep it up man!

I just call JT, "JT". Pretty easy.

My dick is fine. My wife and I just had another baby, so it must be ok!

Does JT get meat sweats after a hotdog binge?

JT is in a constant state of meat sweats.

Why did you take down that seriously awesome commercial?

Which one?

Been a fan of all you guys for several years now. Your coffee is hands down the best I've ever had, actually I'm currently sipping on some MO, fresh from my France press.

I'm glad you were able to come onto the DB podcast, but are you planning to keep Blackhearted going?

We definitely plan to keep Blackhearted going. We are actually planning on working with some veteran-based companies that identify and provide funding for veteran-owned startups. This, along with the guidance from guests and BRCC executives on starting and growing your own business, will be big parts of what we’re planning to with the show and in the veteran community. We really appreciate your support!

I have recently got into cold brewing my coffee. Can you reccomend any particular type of roast for cold brewing?

Second question, with regard to your status as a former CIA contractor, did you meet with many operators that have worked for the CIA a long time? What is shop talk like with them? Do you have any declassified stories from them or from your work for the CIA?

I've been mixing Sniper's Hide and Beyond Black. I love the dark with the light blend.

I wish man.

I love coffee, but am your basic Mr. Coffee guy who brews a pot every morning using the basic setup. What do you recommend for someone who wants to start getting a little more advanced in coffee brewing? Better coffee maker, techniques, etc?

I would recommend investing a little money in a pour over device, such as a Chemex, and start experimenting with different roast profiles, bean sources, etc. You will find a number of tutorial videos on the net that will guide you on how to use the devices, what water-to-coffee ratios and grind settings to use, and things like that.

Thoughts on MK Ultra?

Super fucked up in my opinion.

What kind of brain damage do the 101st have that makes them think they're better than the 82nd?

Different units, but both great.

What is best in life?

Family

What do you miss most about war and combat?

What do you miss the least?

What's your best story from your time in the service?

I miss my buddies (of course).

I do not miss the shitty places.

The invasion of Iraq was one of the most enlightening experiences of my life. You get to witness supreme highs and severe lows, but it has definitely helped shape who I am today.

Why did you guys pick Utah and are you excited to get out?

Also you need a Sunday morning rants with Evan podcast. Every time you start on one it’s like a reality unicorn shitting rainbows in my ear holes while watching a George Washington cross the Delaware on a seadoo

Good! I had already started another business in Utah prior to starting BRCC so it's just where we were at at the time. We're not leaving Utah just expanding into some other parts of the country.

How's the coffee ? I despise weak coffee and have read fresh roasted is much better. Thanks

Coffee has a "off-gassing" period of about 48 hours. It is best consumed between 2 days and 2 weeks.

Fucking BRCC. I love you guys. We currently do the monthly subscription and was wondering if you have any new flavors coming out? I love offering my hippie sister in law a mug of silencer smooth, AK-47, or knife hand.

We do! Were are getting ready to sell a high end coffee from a different coffee every month. We took an origin trip to Central America earlier this year and we're about release our first direct trade purchase from there. It's a Pacamara grown in the mountain micro-climate of El Salvador, so stay tuned to the Coffee or Die roast.

Evan, really appreciate what you guys are doing. My only question is kinda of a simple one. Is it still fun, or is the job getting harder? Kinda feel that BRCC is kinda of going though another evaluation that it is might need even more nurturing, in a good way though.

The job is getting harder for sure. The people are great, but the complexities are getting pretty wide.

Any idea as to when you’ll start producing your outdoor gear?

Now! We have a new ultra lightweight collapsable pour over that we are launching very soon. We also have a selection of GSI outdoor products that we are currently selling, H2JO!, the Commuter Java Press, and the java drip. I'm a avid outdoorsman myself having grown up in the Idaho mountains so you can expect a lot more to come in the future.

Hey Evan! I love the coffee and love the drinkin bros. I know you are planning on some brick and mortar stores. What does the timeline and expansion process look like for that? Also, what’s your current ping-pong win/lose with Mat?

We are. Next year should be great to see. We are expanding to franchising and offering Veterans the opportunity to own their coffee shops.

Right now we have our locations in Salt Lake and Las Vegas with locations opening soon in Savanah, Dallas, Tokyo and Shanghai. When we first started gaining traction with the company we didn't want to take on any outside investments and potentially change the authenticity of the brand. Expanding out to brick and mortar has been something we've wanted to do since the beginning and you'll definitely see a lot more shops opening soon.

Mat is 10-1 against me right now... Not that anyone is keeping count!

How incredible is it to be able to work next to a legend like #bertfromtv? I always feel as though being in the presence of such an A list celebrity would be intimidating.

Bert is a badass mofo. I truly love the guy.

Thank you for your service. What in your opinion is the biggest threat to the United States? What is the main threat focus of the CIA and our National Defense? Protecting us is the generic answer, I mean Cyberwarfare, Nuclear, Terrorist cells, etc. etc.

Right now I think the greatest threat to the US is through Cyberwarfare in combination with a follow-on attack.

Do you recommend any way to prepare for boot camp? End goal is to become an Army Scout Sniper.

I prepared by doing at least 45 minutes of military exercises- running, pushups, situps, pullups, and calisthenics each day for two months prior to going in. It seemed to work great for me.

Hey Evan, huge fan of DB, Blackhearted, and the community you guys have built for fellow vets (my broke-ass college budget hasn't yet afforded the opportunity to try your coffee yet, but trust me, it's on my to-do list).

I have a few questions for you: 1) Can we expect to see more operator bio's like the one coming up on Wally? It sounds like from all of the shows you guys are pretty stacked when it comes to experience at the complex, and I would love to hear more (especially from your General Counsel after listening to the shows he helped with).

2) Where do you see Black Rifle in the next 5 years? Do you want nationwide brick & mortar stores? Or are you adapting the In-n-Out model and staying local to try and make the freshest coffee?

3) I just asked this on your IG but you might not have gotten to it. What areas do you think BRCC struggle in, or at least can improve upon?

Thank you so much, man. I love you guys, and keep up the good work.

1. We will absolutely get the bios coming. We have been putting the information together and doing interviews with the entire staff of BRCC.
2. We will be international with brick and mortar opportunities for veterans.
3. We can always improve. I think we have to improve the customer experience in several ways. We have to give BRCC fans a place to "hang out" through physical stores and always strive to educate the masses on great coffee.

Can you start packaging your coffee in ammo cans? I thought it’d be cool, plus I store my shit in Folgers cans as of now anyways. Haha

We have ammo cans. But something would really have to change for us to be able to afford putting all our coffee in ammo cans.

Hi, fellow soldier here. I'm getting out soon and finding a job is harder than I thought. I joined the Army with a high school degree and I want to use my GI bill, but I need a job asap. Does joining a contracting job something you would recommend? Any helpful advice?

Contracting is a good way to help you transition. It definitely helped me in that you are in some ways half in and half out until you're ready to turn the page.

Why a coffee company? Did you use coffee or other energy supplements on missions?

I started roasting coffee about ten years ago between deployments. It was truly out of love for a great cup of coffee, but it matured into a passion for the process.

Any other movies in the works? Loved Range 15! Proud owner!

Also, I'm in UT, can I come see your guys' place? (VET!)

We don't. We have the Shaved Eagle Tour coming out and we just released a documentary.

Navy Cryptologic Veteran Farsi Linguist and although I am liberal I look past your ridiculous advertising as coffee for conservatives because the shit is good.

I use K-cups for the efficiency and the fact that work only has k-cup machines. Do you plan on bringing the light roast to the k-cups and in your opinion how do k-cups effect the flavor of your coffee?

We do. Kcups are a hard one for us. Meaning, I love to roast high-quality coffee and deliver it while it's still fresh. That's my thing. I =understadn why people like the convenience Kcups, but I haven't paid them much attention. This next year we are going to try and bring everyone a better kcup.

First off thanks for your service and secondly I'm running low on my Ethiopian coffee grounds, any new beans you recommend to ground up?

I'm a fan of the yirgacheffe.

Thank you for your service!

You guys hiring?...

Can I order pods for a Keurig online? Or is Black Rifle in any grocery stores?

We sell to several retailers. You can find them on our website.

Thanks!

Have you ever heard of/listened to the Zero Blog Thirty podcast? They look for products/services that benefit veterans to promote & have a pretty big audience - it's under the Barstool Sports umbrella.

I have heard of them. The problem is- I'm not a sports fan so I really don't listen to a lot of sports-related material.