A wildly popular new trend is hard coffee. For those not familiar with hard coffee, hard coffee is basically alcohol infused coffee or alcoholic coffee. The idea of combining alcohol and coffee is not a new one, but the packaging and distribution of it is.
Many brands have unveiled their version of hard coffee and there are a few things you should look at before making your first purchase.
What is Hard Coffee?
Hard coffee is more than just brewed coffee and liquor. Many canned hard coffee beverages found today are malt beverages. This means that it is made from a neutral malt base which is brewed and fermented. This is a very similar process to the one used for brewing beer and the flavor is dependent upon which flavors are added to the malt base. The end result is a true hard coffee, which is far more than just alcohol and coffee combined.
Because of this process, there's a unique and seamless integration of coffee and alcohol flavors.
If you're new to the alcoholic coffee space, you may want to let go of any preconceptions ahead of time. You may know what alcohol and coffee taste like individually, but the combination of the two creates a totally new experience.
Alcoholic Coffee Flavor
Flavor is perhaps the most important thing to look for in a hard coffee, as is the case with anything you drink. Many of the hard coffees and alcohol-infused coffee drinks on the market today have different flavors available.
Bomani Cold Brew
If you prefer the natural taste of black coffee you should to try the Bomani Cold Brew. With zero sugar, zero carbs, and only 110 calories, this alcoholic coffee makes for an especially good option for coffee purists. The company uses ethically sourced 100% Arabica Beans and has a flavor profile that many coffee snobs will appreciate. This is a very balanced ands smooth coffee with buttery notes of chocolate and caramel.
La Colombe Hard Cold Brew Coffee
Another option for the coffee purist is La Colombe Hard Cold Brew Coffee. The coffee is a collaboration between MillerCoors and the Philly coffee roaster. Its coffee beans are from Colombia and Brazil and the beans are of top quality. Due to its lack of flavoring, there are those who say this hard coffee tends to have an unfamiliar aftertaste in its malt base, but this can be easily fixed by adding a little creamer or milk. If you're interested in learning more about this uniquely-crafted alcohol-infused coffee, check out our full Bomani review.
Mocha PBR
If you are a big fan of Starbucks and prefer your coffee drinks with lots of flavored syrup in them, then you might be a fan of the White Chocolate Mocha flagship hard coffee drink by PBR. This alcoholic coffee has received overwhelmingly positive reviews since its launch in 2019 and is a great option for those of you looking for a flavored hard coffee.
Alcohol Content
Depending on how you plan to drink your hard coffee, you will want to be aware of the Alcohol by Volume in your hard coffees. Most alcoholic coffees have a 5% ABV with some having a little less and others having a little more. Determine which amount is best for you and which one you prefer.
Price
Price is going to also be a big factor in determining which product to buy. The average price of hard coffee is about $10 for a four-pack. Considering quality coffee and quality alcohol isn't cheap, I was pleasantly surprised by this statistic.
Some alcoholic coffees are going to cost more and other brands are going to cost less. Not all hard coffees are created equal, and most of the time you get what you pay for. Higher priced hard coffees tend to use better ingredients (both better coffee and alcohol) than lower priced hard coffees, so if you are a bit of a connoisseur you might not want to cheap out on your next hard coffee purchase.
Conclusion
There are a lot of hard coffee options out on the market today and everyone’s taste buds are different. Whether its flavor, price, or alcohol content – find one brand that offers the most value to you.
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