OTTAWA – Cherry Cansler, editor for fastcasual.com speaks about her Nitro Coffee experience.
I love coffee. I love the taste, the smell, how it speeds up my heart rate and clears my head. And I adore it in all its forms: hot, iced, frozen, with Bailey’s, sans booze, mixed with chocolate in desserts and even in my morning protein shakes.
And, like any self-respecting millennial, I love the customization that goes along with my coffee experience — whether it’s starting the day with my Keurig in my kitchen or visiting my locally owned coffee shop to pat myself on the back for helping a small business owner. I’m not a coffee snob, however, so I’ll admit to feeling a sense of pride when earning stars by paying via mobile app at the giant coffee chain down the street or picking up my sister between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., so we can take advantage of the BOGO offer at its competitor up the street. (My chai tea latte with sugar-free caramel and a shot of espresso isn’t going to pay for itself unless I keep earning those stars or sharing a BOGO.)
You get my point; coffee is a huge part of my day, so you can bet I was super buzzed about sampling the nitrogen-infused coffee (Nitro Coffee) at the Manitowoc booth at last month’s NRA show in Chicago. After watching a Manitowoc employee pour my shot-sized coffee sample from a keg-like piece of equipment, the Multiplex N2Fusion, I tossed it back and quickly learned Nitro Coffee is as cold as it is strong. Although I’ve seen conflicting reports on the exact levels of caffeine it contains, it is safe to say Nitro Coffee gave me a bigger jolt of energy compared to my regular latte.
That strength, however, did not equal a stronger taste. In fact, the nitrogen brings out the chocolate notes in the coffee, giving it a sweeter flavor than traditional cold brew or those infused with CO2. That means people who don’t like the bitter bite of traditional black coffee — that would be me — may enjoy this coffee concoction because it comes out frothy and creamy, despite not having cream or sugar. I never drink black coffee but would be happy to start my day with this nearly freezing coffee.
Starbucks taps Nitro Coffee
According to Mintel, sales of cold-brew coffee (coffee that is steeped, not heated) grew 339 percent from 2010 to 2015, with estimated sales reaching $7.9 million in 2015. From March 2015 to March 2016, iced coffee orders totaled 832 million at gourmet coffee, donut and bakery outlets, which was a 20 percent increase, said Bonnie Riggs, restaurant industry analyst at The NPD Group.
“This growth would mean customers are loving iced coffee and particularly innovative iced coffee, like last summer’s cold brew coffee and now nitrogen-infused coffee,” she said. “Consumers like to try new things.”
With that in mind, Starbucks, which debuted cold-brew coffee last year, officially entered the nitro game last month when it began serving its Nitro Cold Brew. Baristas pour it from the tap and serve it sans ice. A 12-ounce serving has five calories and no sugar.
“We start with a small, chilled keg of Starbucks Cold Brew coffee,” said Anthony Carroll, a 20-year partner on the Starbucks coffee team. “Then it’s infused with nitrogen, which unlocks the super-smooth, natural sweetness of the cold brew coffee, which then cascades from the tap with a velvety texture you can see and taste.”
Although Nitro Cold Brew is offered at select Starbucks stores in Seattle, it will be available in more than 500 company-operated stores by the end of summer, starting with additional stores in Seattle and Portland, followed by New York, Chicago, Boston, San Francisco and Los Angeles, according to the company.
Paying the price
Consumers are willing to pay a premium for Nitro coffee, according to Manitowoc, which said some estimates are up to $6 per drink.
“Operators who have tested the Multiplex N2Fusion units in their operations have seen ROI payback quicker than expected,” said Caitlin Rodgers, VP, global marketing, Manitowoc Foodservice.
Starbucks charges $3.95 for a 12-ounce cup, which is a buck more than the $2.75 that it costs for a standard cold brew, but cheaper than my $5 lattes.
It looks like I’ll have one more coffee experience to add to my coffee repertoire.
