San Franciscan Kelly Peterson was on the hunt for a coffee alternative — one that had the flavor of her favorite brew, but not the jarring acidity.
She ended up creating her own: Levity Brew.
It’s a blend of organic, single-origin Columbian coffee; organic yerba mate (naturally caffeinated leaves from the rainforest tree); organic chicory; organic imperial green tea; and wild-harvested guarana seed (naturally caffeinated seeds from the South American tree).
You brew it just like a cup of tea using the nifty bag it comes in.
I had a chance to try a sample. It drinks like tea, but tastes like coffee, if that makes any sense. It’s got the color, smell, and the roasty, slightly bitter edge of coffee. I definitely felt a caffeine buzz afterward. But it has a gentler countenance like tea.
One cup has about 80mg of caffeine, according to Peterson, about the same as a shot of espresso. It also has 20 percent less acidity than typical coffee.
A 12-pack sold on the Levity Brew site is $25.
Will it replace my usual French roast? I doubt it, only because I do like the taste of full-on coffee. However, I do love the product’s portability and can see toting these easily in my purse when traveling, especially because all you need is a cup and hot water for a pick-me-up.