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We here at Knapsack are fond of our sips. Sure, a number of them are a bit more evening-oriented, but that’s not to say that we don’t enjoy a good dose of caffeine in the morning (and throughout the day). So, when we had a chance to check out what’s going on with Rise Brewing Nitro Cold Brew Coffee, we were ready to go.
Rise Brewing Nitro Cold Brew Coffee: what it is
By now, if you’re into coffee, you know what cold brew coffee is all about. Rather than blasting hot water through ground up coffee beans (and getting you coffee in a few minutes), cold brew relies on cold water and 24-hour brew cycle. This usually results in a coffee that has less of the bitter components coming through, as can lead to a higher caffeine concentration in the resulting drink.
Here, of course, we also have the addition of nitrogen. This is something we’re more used to with packaged beer (think of the last time you opened a can of Guinness), but it’s also become a popular choice for canned cold brew. Why? It’s not to make things carbonated. While you do get a small amount of head in the cup (if you don’t drink it straight from the can), it’s more to give the coffee a smoother feel as you drink it.
The flavor
For our review, we had the Rise Brewing Nitro Cold Brew Coffee come in in their Oat Milk Mocha flavor. As you look through their offerings, you’ll notice that all of their offerings are dairy free. This is (we’re guessing) partially due to shelf stability concerns, but it’s also an acknowledgement that some folks, well, they want (or need) milk alternatives.
For me, I found that the oat milk gave things a bit of a nutty flavor. If you’re not used to oat milk, that flavor note will hit you strongly, but you get used to it. Paired with the extremely chocolatey flavor of the cold brew, the nuttiness works quite well. In fact, if you’re someone who likes caffeine, but does not like the taste of coffee, this could be a good option for you. By that, we mean while the coffee flavor is there, it’s very much in the background.
Wrapping things up
As soon as you’re talking chocolate in a drink, you know that the Rise Brewing Nitro Cold Brew Coffee is not going to be your normal super-low calorie cup of coffee. Each 7 oz can has 23g of sugar (they use cane sugar, not corn syrup), for a total caloric hit of 150 calories in the can. It also contains 70mg of caffeine, which is slightly less than the average 95mg that an 8 oz cup of hot coffee would have.
While I tend to rely on regular brewed coffee to get me going (particularly in this cold weather), something like the Rise Brewing Nitro Cold Brew Coffee is a great option to have on hand. I found myself reaching for one as I headed out the door to get the train to work, as it’s easy to finish the smaller can without it feeling forced (or you feeling over-full). A 12-pack of the 7-oz cans runs $39.99 (and there are taller 10 oz cans as well as bigger packs), with subscriptions knocking the price down some. If you’re interested, you can find them over at Amazon, or of course directly from risebrewingco.com
Rise Brewing Nitro Cold Brew Coffee Ingredients
Water, organic oats, organic coffee, organic cane sugar, organic sunflower oil, organic low fat cocoa powder, potassium carbonate (to preserve freshness), sea salt.
