McKissick Honored with His Own Coffee

What does winning 600 football games taste like? 

It has a hint of chocolate and tropical wood with a smoky, nutty finish.

Summerville Green Wave Coach John McKissick will have his own coffee blend at Summerville's own roasting company Coastal Coffee Roasters beginning Thursday. The blend is called McKissick 600 — even though he finished his 61st season at 601 wins. 

The first packages will be delivered to the coach during the Summerville Town Council meeting, 7:30 Wednesday at the town's municipal complex on Main Street. There, the public will have a chance to taste the winning brew.

A portion of the sales (20 percent) will benefit the coach's athletic scholarship. The coffee will only be sold at the Coastal Coffee Roasters location on E. 3rd North Street.

It's the brainchild of town Councilwoman Kima Garten-Schmidt, who approached the mayor and Coastal Coffee Roasters with the idea. 

"I thought this was a way we could recognize him as a town," she said. "Something that would be fun for the town and the people ... We wanted to do something a little bit different."

Co-owner of Coastal Coffee Roasters Jacki Mallett designed the blend.

The coach isn't a rabid coffee drinker, but Garten-Schmidt said she heard he enjoys a cup of coffee in the morning — and this coffee was meant to be enjoyed in the morning, according to Coastal Coffee Roasters co-owner Brad Mallett.

Dorchester School District Two also has two plaques coming to recognize the coach. One will be at McKissick Field at Memorial Stadium, and the other will be at Summerville High, district Superintendent Joe Pye said. 

"We couldn't agree on where to put it," Pye said. 

Now, the district has to agree on where in each location the plaques will go.