If you’ve been reading BevNet recently, you may have seen our article about the trends and challenges with cold-brewed coffee. The tl;dr version of the article is that cold-brewed coffee sales are up, but if you’re considering selling cold-brew coffee then you’ve got to watch out for short shelf lives, refrigerated distribution logistical nightmares, and limited manufacturing options. In other words, you’ll be better off using cold-brew as an ingredient in an RTD product.
We also gave a few ideas on how to get past the challenges of entering the RTD cold-brew market and we would like to expand on those a bit just so you can get your creative juices flowing. So, without any further fanfare, here are 5 RTD cold-brew ideas that won’t require refrigerated distribution and will have longer shelf lives:
1. Vodka & Cold Brew with a dash of Peppermint
Ah, the coffee martini, or coffeetini as it’s sometimes called. Sure it’s not something you might catch James Bond drinking, but would still be a tasty way to wind down after a long, arduous day of spy work. Of course, martini’s aren’t just vodka. Maybe, just maybe this would work with gin (although we doubt it) or Irish whisky (yum!).
2. Dirty Chai Latte
What makes a Chai Latte dirty? We could think of several smart-alecky things to say here, but the truth is, it’s just a shot of espresso in your latte, similar to a shot-in-the-dark or a red-eye. So, pick your favorite latte flavor (masala, ginger, vanilla, etc.) and add a dash of cold-brew and voila! You have a dirty chai latte.
3. Coconut Mocha Flavored Cold-Brew Energy Drink
Whenever something has mocha listed, it immediately makes our mouths water. Add some coconut and cold-brew with a shot of pure, unbridled energy and it’s game over. Somebody has to make this or maybe a variation of it. Heck, a pumpkin spice cold-brew energy drink has to be in somebody’s plans for next fall.
4. Carbonated Cold-Brew Espresso
If you ever had a bubble bath when you were a kid, you already know that bubbles make everything better. A lot of higher end coffee shops have been offering this smooth, creamy concoction for some time now, but now it’s time for someone to take this up in the RTD space.
5. Mexican Chocolate-Flavored Cold Brew Protein Shake
Now you’re talking our language. Is there anything better than the sweet spiciness of Mexican chocolate? Now we just need to combine that and a shot of cold-brew into the increasingly popular protein shake, get it ready to launch and boom. Of course, we’re open to other combinations, as well!
Okay, there are a few ideas for cold-brew even though we’re not in the drink idea business. Rather, we’re in the business of helping you get your drink idea ready for market. We’ll help you get the flavor right where you want it, we’ll do quality control and shelf-life testing, we’ll develop and scale up the formula, we’ll help source your ingredients, and we’ll even help hook you up with a manufacturer in your area.
When you’re ready to talk about your beverage idea, give us a call at (502) 273-5214 or get started by telling us your story here. To learn more about Flavorman, see our process.
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