Froidian Sips
Organic Iced Coffee Hits Shelves

Back in the early 90’s I had a guilty pleasure – yes I was only a young kid – of drinking a Maxwell House product called Cappio. It was a ready-to-drink iced cappucino beverage sold in supermarkets which came in a curiously large, brown tinted glass bottle that looked oddly like a “40“. Purchasing this coffee beverage when I was a mere fifteen years old was always a hoot because the cashiers invariably wanted to card me. I had to politely explain to them that it was coffee, not alcohol.

In fact, so strikingly similar to a large bottle of beer was this beverage that one time, during my daily “supermarket-to-library-to-park to read” routine I was approached by one of the most polite and unusual gentleman I’ve encountered. “Excuse me,” he said. “I don’t mean to bother you, but I couldn’t help but notice that you’re drinking a beer. I’m an alcoholic and was wondering if you’d be so kind as to share.” After just as politely informing him that it was coffee I was drinking, not beer, he continued by saying “so sorry to bother you. Have a good day.” Whereupon he casually walked off. True story. That’s Massachusetts for you…

As a coffee snob I probably shouldn’t admit to having enjoyed this beverage so much – it was Maxwell House afterall, and a ready-to-drink beverage at that! But it was a special, sweet little treat. Just the right amount of sweetened coffee combined with a soft, creamy body, all chilled for the perfect summer sipping satisfaction.

For some reason this beverage didn’t make it, at least, not here in the States. From what I understand, it was repackaged, marketed overseas and became popular in England (though I could be wrong, I didn’t exactly follow its evolution…). And through all these years, I’ve yet to find an equally guilty substitute – until now, and this new discovery exceeds the previous delight tenfold.

Froid (pronounce “FRWAH” actually – French for “cold”. Just couldn’t resist the deliberate mispronunciation for the title) is a young company offering a line of organic ready-to-drink coffee beverages that are hands-down the best thing to hit the market – ever.

Unveiled a mere one year ago at the All Things Organic Trade Show and Expo in Chicago, Froid offers USDA certified organic coffee with 100% certified organic ingredients and absolutely zero artificial or chemical additives, all brewed up into attractive little 11 ounce recyclable plastic bottles. In addition to an original coffee flavor, they also offer a French Vanilla flavor as well as an Iced Chai option.

The first sip transported me back to my childhood of drinking Cappio – only this time the product appealed to my adult senses with its slick, upscale packaging, organic ingredients and the oh-so-clean clean taste of the beverage itself.

While BEVNET doesn’t give the product’s taste its full due, their short review is more than enough to show that others too think highly of this first entry into the organic ready-to-drink market:

The flavor is rich and creamy, with milk and sugar being the predominant flavor of the formulation. The coffee flavor is on par with other products in the category, but is lighter than what you’d get at a coffee bar. They’ve done what they can with the package, creating something that feels upscale despite the use of plastic. The fully wrapped design is clean, but it makes for a package that’s difficult to open and may completely unravel, which diminishes the look of the product in your hand. Still, the French name sounds sophisticated and we think that along with the mellow flavor, clean label, and USDA organic certification will appeal to a consumer of premium ready to drink coffee.

I have to agree with the assessment that the package can completely unravel and come off the bottle – or worse, hang ripped and torn – if you’re not careful opening. And yes, that does unfortunately mar its aesthetic appeal in the hands of a consumer. But the taste is to die for. Without question it exceeds all other products that have preceeded it (none organic, of course) and most certainly should, as BEVNET mentions, appeal to a consumer of premium ready to drink coffee.

The big drawback of course is that, being a new company, the distribution is not yet large. I found mine about eight hours from home on one of my many trips, and was so impressed that I purchased a small supply to carry back with me. As it stands, the distribution according to the Drink Froid website is localized to the following regions pictured below:

In addition to individual specialty stores in the above regions, Froid Coffee can be found at:

Harris Teeter
www.harristeeter.com

Harry and David
www.harryanddavid.com

as well as select locations of:

Wegmans
www.wegmans.com

Food Emporium Stores
www.thefoodemporium.com

ACME Markets
www.acmemarkets.com

The website seems to keep a moderately updated list of distributors and locations, so please do check there for the most recent information. More importantly, to help the distribution grow you can ask, ask, ask for it continuously and relentlessly at your favorite markets.

Order some or pick some up at a supplier if you have one nearby, but if you love premium coffee beverages, do whatever it takes to try this one – and to help it catch on.

“Excuse me, I’m a coffee snob and I couldn’t help but notice that you’re drinking a Froid…”

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Froid Coffee Company, LLC
201 Wilshire Blvd – Suite #100
Santa Monica, CA 90401
Toll Free: 866-GO-FROID
T: 310-401-2240
F: 310-401-2241
www.drinkfroid.com

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