New Local Beverage Unites The Powers Of Caffeine & Coconut Water

Photo courtesy of Coco Cafe

Pouring into a new world of drink, coconut water, a trend often associated with Los Angeles yogis, is now hydrating locals via Coco Café, a Venice-born cold coffee beverage. The product has been available for just three months, and as someone who only guzzles caffeinated beverages on special occasions, I was skeptical to try the seemingly healthy infusion. But I caved and graciously accepted a generous box of samples, and I'm bouncing in my seat as I type.

The brainchild of L.A. native Elan Eifer, a surfer and yogi whose mornings involved mixing coconut water with his coffee, and Brian McCaslin, a restauranteur, Coco Café is the world's first all-natural coconut water-based coffee beverage. The ingredients list is short and sweet: coconut water from Indonesia, low-fat milk, organic fair trade espresso from San Diego, organic evaporated cane juice, carrageenan (a vegetarian thicking agent) and natural flavor. If you're like me, "natural flavor" is a half-mast red flag ingredient. After inquiring about the mysterious natural flavor, a Coco Café associate told me the natural flavor in the drink is "a simple blend to enhance the coffee and remove bitterness - a basic latte concept." I'm still a little wary, but I must admit, the drink is rather effective and delicious.

A smart concept, the concoction hydrates as it stimulates. A known diuretic, caffeine can leave drinkers energized yet in dire need of hydration. With high levels of electrolytes, pure coconut water has been found to spur rapid hydration. After drinking one container (11.2 fluid ounces) of Coco Café for the past four mornings, I will agree that the coconut water cafe latte had me on my toes and hydrated much more so than I would be post-coconut waterless latte. The product contains over 60% coconut water and one shot of strong espresso (approximately 120mg) and tastes like, well, a chilled latte.

While Angelenos will have to refrain from barging into Intelligentsia and demanding the drink, Coco Café can be scored at over 200 specialty food stores in SoCal, namely Whole Foods, as well as online. A local friend said she tried (and enjoyed) the drink at Sprouts in Culver City earlier this week, too. Whole Foods shoppers in Arizona, Nevada and Hawaii will also see the product on shelves.

Sensitive to caffeine, I suffered the caffeine jitters after sipping on the drink, bouncing my legs to the beat of my increased heartbeat. The milk ingredient makes for a slightly heavy caffeine cocktail, but then again, I rarely drink animal milk. Vegetarians, don't fret. Rather, rejoice with me. The boosting beverage will soon be available with milk alternatives. And boozers, you, too, may rejoice. Eifer describes the beverage as a great mixer in the below video.