West Coast, Berry Toast

When our farmer partner flew out to Los Angeles to meet us, it felt like a milestone. We'd been flying to Florida regularly to add more equipment to our production, tweak our manufacturing process and scale the output. From the beginning it felt like Juliano and I were the underdogs, the young Californians who nobody was betting on to win.

But in the past three years, he’d seen us take the miracle berry to new heights, turning what used to be a $7-per-berry novelty into something that could be enjoyed for about a dollar or less per serving. He recognized we were making the berry not just more affordable but more approachable and practical for everyday life. That was exactly the kind of innovation this market needed.

So there we were, having dinner in Santa Monica, and he introduced us to something new: a miracle berry concentrated melt. This was a form that dissolved on your tongue in about 10seconds, kind of like cotton candy. It was a neat idea because it saved you from chewing, but it also came with a catch: a higher price point that didn’t really fit our mission of keeping the berry affordable.

We knew we had to stay true to what we set out to do: make the miracle berry a daily delight. Heck, even after dropping the price as much as we had, for some it was already a luxury splurge. So while we loved the innovation, we decided to keep focusing on the form that everyone could enjoy without breaking the bank. But I'd be lying if I said it wasn't tempting to be a part of the newest of the new. More on that to come.

Now onto the taste test. This week, I headed down to Intelligentsia Coffee Inc. with a friend who was visiting and eager to try their new oat milk latte. I'd never been so I didn't understand the hype or the line out the door. But Abbot Kinney isn't a place to knock until you try so I was game to wait with my mate. 

Finally the latte arrived and we dove in headfirst. It had a little sweetness but also that familiar bitter kick of coffee. Frankly, the oat milk wasn’t as delicious as I’d hoped. But that worked out because I had a plan for that.

Up next came Nature's Wild Berry. I let it do its 30-second magic and took another sip. Holy moly, that latte turned into the most delicious coffee I’d ever tasted. It was like all the bitterness vanished and left behind a perfectly balanced sweetness. You must experience it to see what I'm talking about.

If you’ve got ideas for what I should taste next, let me know in the comments.

And don’t forget, there’s a hidden alphanumeric discount code in this post for 20 percent off, good for the next 48 hours. Just a little thank you for being part of this adventure.

— Hank