growler happy hour

I finally succumbed to Dunn Bros. marketing for their Infinite Black cold press coffee growler. The thought of having their cold press anytime I wanted was a big sell. I also liked buying a growler for $14 and being able to refill for as long as it’s offered at $10 a pop. (I’m doing the environment a favor, yes?) When a coupon for $2 off a first-time purchase appeared in the mail, there was no stopping me.

My favorite way to drink this intense and robust coffee is cut with water (about 3 parts coffee to 1 part water), sweetened, and kissed with a bit of cream (ok, fat-free half-and-half, though cream would taste even better). It’s amazing over ice, but also good hot–just the thing to kickstart a chilly morn.

When I purchased my growler, the man behind the counter encouraged me to check out the Dunn Bros. website for drink recipes. There are a handful–some cold, some hot–and what looked like most fun was the Adults Only section. I’ve given Caribbean Martini, Nutty Morgan (used coconut rum instead of spiced), and Killer Vanilla Coffee (whipped cream vodka and a dash of vanilla instead of the vanilla vodka) a whirl and they were tasty, but not phenomenally so. All were plenty potent, though, combining caffeine AND alcohol–sippers rather than sluggers.

The recipes on the site might be a good springboard, but coffee-loving folks would do just as well mixing up their own cocktail/mocktail combos. Stirring a touch of nearly any liqueur or spirit into the cold press coffee would promise deliciousness. Non-alcoholic stir-ins–syrups, creamers, spices (simmering with a cinnamon stick, for one)–would be fun to try, too. Topping any of them with whipped cream won’t hurt either. Refreshing, invigorating, fun. With a refillable cold press growler, I’m good on all counts.