Austin’s Best Kept Juicy Secret: Foraging the Neighborhood for Our New Mustang Grape Specials

Dear Diary,

Look around the next time you are walking through the neighborhood. Seriously, take a close look at the vibrant green vines wrapping around fences, climbing up oak trees, and draping over limestone walls. Austin has grapes everywhere.

How is this not a bigger deal?!

We are practically swimming in wild grapes, yet most people pass them by without a second thought. But here at Dear Diary, we see a hyper-local treasure just waiting to be tapped. This summer, we rolled up our sleeves, grabbed our foraging baskets, and harvested a bounty of gorgeous, wild Mustang grapes right from our own neighborhood.

The result? A completely unique, deeply vibrant wild grape syrup that we are using to power our seasonal drink specials. These hyper-limited drinks are officially dropping this August, right after the harvest. You can peek at the lineup right now on the home page of dd.coffee!

The Labor of Love (And A Lot of Straining)

If you’ve ever tried a Mustang grape straight from the vine, you know they aren't your typical grocery store snack. They are famously packed with a lot of tannins and heavy acidity, which can make them a bit rowdy to work with.

Getting the recipe right required some serious kitchen wizardry. We spent weeks perfecting our wild grape syrup recipe, which involves an intensive process of rinsing, mashing, and meticulous straining to temper those intense tannins while locking in that rich, bold fruit flavor.

And for the science and safety nerds out there: yes, we totally know how to identify our wild grapes! To ensure that 100% of our harvest is indeed Mustang grapes, we painstakingly inspect the seeds from every single batch. It's tedious, but knowing that every drop of syrup is perfectly authenticated and purely local makes it entirely worth it.

Why Grape + Espresso is a Match Made in Heaven

You might be thinking: Grape syrup... in coffee? Hear us out.

Remember a few years ago when everyone was putting lemon juice in espresso? Or when the trend of mixing espresso with Coca-Cola took over the internet? There is something about the marriage of sharp acidity and rich, dark espresso that people absolutely love.

The bright, tart, complex flavor of our Mustang grape syrup plays brilliantly with coffee. It is especially mind-blowing if you pair it with jammy African beans, unlocking notes you didn't even know your palate could detect. It’s fruity, it’s punchy, it’s refreshing, and it is unlike anything you’ve ever had in a latte.

Blink and You’ll Miss It!

Here is the catch: absolutely no one else in Austin is selling Mustang grape products like this. This is a 100% Dear Diary exclusive. Because we forage these grapes by hand right here in the community, our supply is entirely dependent on what mother nature gave us this year and how much we were able to harvest.

Just like the fleeting Texas grape fruiting season itself, once this syrup is gone, it is gone until next year.

We wanted to create something that tastes like a snapshot of an Austin summer, made by the neighborhood, for the neighborhood. Mark your calendars for August, check out the upcoming menu at dd.coffee, and get ready to taste the wild side of Austin!

August Specials

Grackle Wing Refresher
Wild grape syrup, black tea, sparkling water

Midnight Virgo Cold Brew
Nitrogen Infused cold brew, wild grape cold foam, chocolate drizzle

Bat Flight Matcha Latte
Black matcha, marshmallow fluff, raspberry dust and wild grape cold foam

Backstage Glitter Latte
Espresso, wild grape cold foam, mica glitter