"Green Coffee" Just Might Be the Next Big Beverage Trend
Courtesy of Sunup Inc.
Sure, there have been green beverages for a while now. From matcha lattes to kale-based smoothies, people have been loving their green veggies in many forms (and loving showing them off, too, as evidenced by all that avocado toast clogging up your Instagram feed).
But at this year's Fancy Food Show, an annual event held by the Specialty Food Association that showcases new and emerging food brands from all over the world, we spied something green we hadn't yet seen in the mainstream marketplace: green coffee.
The drink is made from unroasted coffee beans, which are of a green color, and the resulting drink is also light, nearly translucent green hue. Since there's no roasting, the beans don't lose as much of their natural chlorogenic acid. That chemical has been widely claimed to have health benefits, and a 2006 study published in BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine even concluded that a daily supplement containing an extract of green coffee beans was effective in reducing body fat, body weight, and liver fat composition in mice. And it packs more caffeine than regular coffee. Bonus!
Back at the Fancy Food Show, which runs through Tuesday, we sampled Sunup, one such brand touting these beneficial claims and serving up their green coffee. The drink looks a lot like well-steeped tea, and had a smooth texture, though it was slightly bitter. According to the brand's website, you shouldn't let the diluted look of the drink fool you: "Our green coffee is strong; it has caffeine like a large cold brew coffee and is packed with antioxidants," reads the description offered next to the 9.5 ounce bottle. "Sunup is lightly sweetened with organic sugar cane so it has only 80 calories, and we do not use any preservatives or additives like citric acid."
The coffee retails at $23 for a 6-pack of 9.5 ounce bottles with shipping included, or you can splurge on a 12-pack for $37. And if the light-colored coffee still isn't hip enough for you, you can always go clear.
