Beverage Digest. Premium insight, analysis, and data since 1982.
Subscribe
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Subscribe Now
  • Home
    • Home Page
    • A Message From the Editor & Publisher
    • Contact Us
  • Join in
    • Join our email list!
    • The Breeze Podcast
  • Newsletter
    • Not Yet Subscribed?
    • Renew
    • Newsletter Archive
    • Latest Insights
    • Topic Browser
    • Multi-user License Inquiry
  • Fact Book
    • Fact Book 28th Edition New!
    • Purchase Historical Fact Books
  • Territory Maps
    • Not Yet Purchased?
    • Renew Your System Book
    • Download Your System Book
    • Purchase Historical System Books
    • Bottling-Related Articles
  • Alcohol
    • Blue Cloud Articles
    • Blurred Lines
    • Blue Cloud Map (Newsletter subscription only)
  • Events
    • Future Smarts 2023
    • Past Events
      • Future Smarts 2022
      • Future Smarts 2021
      • Future Smarts 2020
      • Future Smarts 2019
  • Awards
    • Awards 2022
    • Past Awards
      • Awards 2021
      • Awards 2020
      • Awards 2019
  • Sponsors
    • Sponsor Showcase
    • Request Sponsor Kit
Home » Opening Thoughts: March 2, 2023
To access the full article, Subscribe today.

Opening Thoughts: March 2, 2023

March 2, 2023
Back in my Bloomberg News days a decade ago, a colleague and ex-options trader, who was often intrigued by health and profit hacks, brewed a cup of Keurig coffee one morning and whisked it with grass-fed butter. He extolled the virtues of the concoction for both health and mental acuity. He believed it gave him the kind of physical edge that folks on Wall Street and Silicon Valley are forever striving to unlock.

Before long, seemingly everyone looking for an edge was talking about that trend and the brand fueling it, Bulletproof. Founder David Asprey had been energized by the yak-butter tea he drank during a meditation excursion in Tibet. Asprey introduced US consumers to grass-fed butter coffee by way of Bulletproof in 2013. The company included a healthy fat called MCT oil to provide energy to the brain and body. Bulletproof became a cornerstone of the keto diet fad, a modern on a low-carb diet. Keto encouraged consumption of quality fats and protein.

Bulletproof sold plenty of coffee beans, pods, and MCT oil. However, the company’s ready-to-drink offering, launched in 2017, hasn’t caught on and may have been too late, despite the brand’s keto-on-the-go promise. Instead, Super Coffee has dominated the MCT-infused keto coffee space. A 2018 appearance on Shark Tank, investments from the likes of NFL quarterback Aaron Rogers and pop star Jennifer Lopez, and a 2020 national distribution partnership with Anheuser-Busch has propelled that brand to the forefront.

That’s why Starbucks’ launch of olive oil infused coffees at a cafe in Italy is especially eye-catching. Called Oleato, the barista-prepared drinks — in hot and iced forms — appear to take cues from the MCT coffee craze, although Starbucks’ pitch is all about mouthfeel. “The alchemy of Starbucks arabica coffee and premium Partanna extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) creates an entirely new experience, taking on a depth and dimension that simply must be tasted to be believed,” the company’s website states. The drinks are headed to California in the spring.

As I tweeted last week, Oleato is just the kind of innovation that could one day jump to the RTD market by way of Starbucks’ JV with PepsiCo. That successful partnership has...

Tea Launches Coffee Functional Deals Opening Thoughts
preview-banner-top preview-banner-bottom

Popular Stories

  • 1 tablet lead web

    PepsiCo to Launch Gatorade, Propel Beverage Tablets

  • New Platform Said to Give Bottlers Direct Access to Realtime Customer Data

The Breeze with Beverage Digest

An original podcast that brings you into the kinds of conversations that we have here every day at Beverage Digest.
Listen

Latest News

  • Celsius Grabs No. 3 Spot at US Retail as Bang Craters, Rockstar Slips

  • Sparkling Water Q1 Category Results at Retail. Coke's AHA Slides.

  • 1 lead web

    Influencer-Driven Sports Drink Challenger Prime Bursts Onto Retail Scene, Grabs Share

  • 1 tablet lead web

    PepsiCo to Launch Gatorade, Propel Beverage Tablets

  • CSDs at Retail: First-Quarter Pricing Gains Soar. Volume Dives

Beverage-Digest
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use

© 2023 Beverage Digest.
Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing

Follow us on social media