Just because summer has come to an end doesn’t mean the iced coffee trend has followed suit. In fact, iced coffee consumption is on the rise and moving fast. Last year, the restaurant industry served over one billion iced coffees to consumers. Yes, one billion. Retail brands began to take note and started offering ready-to-drink single serve coffee products in both refrigerated and shelf-stable varieties like High Brew Coffee, which we are happy to announce we started distributing.
Coffee From Texas
High Brew Coffee was introduced about a year ago by David Smith, a former executive at Sweet Leaf Tea, in Austin, TX. Cold brew isn’t like your standard cup of morning Joe; the main difference is temperature. Iced coffee is coffee that’s brewed hot and cooled down, while cold brew is brewed cold and never heated. Cold brew (AKA cold press) refers to the process of steeping ground coffee beans in water for an extended period of time. The grounds are then filtered out of the water, and the result is a sweeter, silkier-type coffee that can be mixed with milk, flavoring, syrups, and poured over ice. And then enjoyed, obviously.
Smith said he was looking for an afternoon alternative to energy drinks. He crafted High Brew in individual portions because buying iced coffee concentrate, which then needs to be cut with either water or milk is inconvenient. He wanted to offer consumers a single serve product on the go. Hello, High Brew.
Cold Brew That's Good For You?
Many ready-to-drink iced coffee varieties are more of the dairy-based and sugar laden types that can contain 200+ calories per serving. High Brew is less caloric and has strong flavor profiles in five varieties:
- Double Espresso
- Mexican Vanilla
- Salted Caramel
- Dark Chocolate Mocha
- Dairy-free Black & Bold
High Brew contains between 20 and 60 calories per serving, and at just eight ounces, is suitable for everyday indulgence.
Since temperature isn’t included in cold brewed coffee, the acidity of cold brew is significantly lower than standard coffee. Cold brew also contains more antioxidants, has a less bitter profile, and contains twice the caffeine as its warmer counterpart.
Iced Coffee Isn't a Fad
When determining what you should include in your micro markets or vending machines, you’ve likely concluded that soda and bottled water are top sellers. In fact, soda ranks number one with water right behind it at number two. But don’t forget the coffee drinkers. The ready-to-drink coffee market is currently a $1.8 billion category and one of the fastest growing segments of the beverage business.
The average American drinks 2.1 cups of coffee a day and considering that people spend a majority of their day at work, school, or on-the-go, providing cold brew coffee options will keep them fueled for their days. Adding new brands like High Brew to your product offering positions you as an innovator always looking for ways to positively affect your customers’ experience.
