Some Like It Cold

Coffee used to be a hot, steamy, watery beverage that woke you up in the morning. But then something happened to it. Especially in America. Especially on the West Coast.

Suddenly instant wasn’t good enough for the typical consumer. We began to crave--demand--freshly brewed Arabica beans. And we got them. Not long after, espresso bars became as ubiquitous as StairMasters, keeping left-coasters as energized as a certain unstoppable pink bunny.

Espresso kept us occupied for a while. After all, if we added steamed milk to our new favorite form of java, it rewarded us with cappuccino. By throwing in sugar, cinnamon, chocolate powder and more milk in varying amounts and combinations, we could create an infinite variety of hot coffee beverages.

But we still had to fiddle with our coffee. Last year, espresso ennui collided with summertime, and a whole new drink seized the American imagination: ice-blended coffee. Forget iced cappuccinos or caffe Americano over ice; if you weren’t throwing your iced coffee into some kind of blending, mashing, chopping, whipping, pureeing device, you just weren’t, well, cool.

This summer, the nation’s beverage companies are giving us yet another way to gulp down our caffeine: coffee soda. Sure, we’ve been drinking caffeine for years in hot coffee and cold soda, but coffee sodas, combining two of our favorite national beverages (coffee is consumed at 26 gallons per capita a year, carbonated soft drinks at 51 gallons), let us practically freebase the stuff.

And where there’s not coffee soda, there is iced coffee in cans and in bottles. Nescafe came out with a line of iced coffee in cans this summer. And, capitalizing on the success of Frappuccino in its cafes, Starbucks has bottled its cold coffee drink and sells it in supermarkets and convenience stores.

But we won’t necessarily buy a new carbonated beverage just because some company sticks it under our collective nose. Look what happened to Clear Pepsi and New Coke. And practically no one remembers the ill-fated Pepsi A.M. (less carbonation, more caffeine for twice the wake-up power), which bombed in its test market six years ago, appropriately enough in Waterloo, Iowa.

Since then, two coffee colas have died in obscurity. Zydecola from Louisiana disappeared quietly from grocery store shelves in Texas and Louisiana. Even the grocers don’t know where it went. BibiCaffe, an Italian espresso soda, used to be sold in Dallas; not anymore. Perhaps these coffee sodas were simply ahead of their time. Could this be the summer of the great coffee soda launching?

Both Pepsi-Cola and Starbucks have put coffee sodas on the market recently. Together the companies have formed a manufacturing and distribution network called the North American Coffee Partnership. Their first joint product to hit the stores is Mazagran. Made with Starbucks coffee and carrying the Starbucks label, Mazagran is clearly intended to popularize Starbucks coffee in a completely new form.

Because Pepsi only distributes Mazagran, it has come out with its own carbonated coffee drink, Pepsi Kona, which fuses Kona coffee with the classic Pepsi-Cola formula. Max Lenderman, of the trade publication Beverage World Periscope, says, “Pepsi’s backing adds a lot of credibility to the coffee soda trend. There’s definitely a growing niche for caffeinated beverages.”

Many smaller companies are riding the big boys’ coattails to push their own coffee concoctions. In return, of course, the small companies expand the market and generally help establish the trend.

In some cases, the smaller companies’ products taste better than the national brands. But Greg Prince, executive editor of Beverage World Periscope, says, “Coffee sodas won’t overtake Coke, or even Sprite, but it’s a nice idea. The soft drink market always has room to grow, and in this business, three products equal a trend.”

It’s too soon to tell whether coffee soda will capture the taste of the American people. Joseph Simrany, president of the Tea Assn. of the U.S.A., however, is not at all worried. When asked if his association felt threatened by the emergence of cold coffee drinks on the market, he replied, “Threatened? I didn’t even know about it! I wish them all the success in the world, but iced tea is the beverage of choice in the coffee and tea arena.” Guess it will be awhile before coffee and tea join forces in a single drink, though cold tea mixed with coffee is served in some Chinese restaurants.

On the other hand, beer makers are starting to think coffee. A few coffee beers have already hit the market. Brewed coffee. Brewed beer. Will brew-brews be the drink of next summer?

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To help you sort through the coffee concoctions available in Southern California at the moment, here is a list of what’s out there, together with the reactions of the Food section staff. But everyone’s taste buds are different, so try tasting these yourself.

COFFEEHOUSES IN CANS

* Frappuccino Coffee Drink: The famed Starbucks ice-blended brew has sold so well that it has found its way into bottles in coffee and mocha flavors. Sporting 93 milligrams of caffeine per 9.5-ounce bottle, (roughly the equivalent of a weak cup of coffee) Frappuccino Coffee Drink is available on the West Coast in supermarkets, convenience stores and at Starbucks.

Times Test Kitchen taste-test results: You either love it or you hate it. We had to give it an in-between 3 (on a scale of 1 to 6, 1 being the lowest).

* Jamaican Gold: Made in Canada with Jamaican coffee, Jamaican Gold can be bought at Albertsons, Bristol Farms, Bell Markets and Vons/Pavilions. The original, latte, mocha cappuccino and hazelnut cappuccino flavors are available even in Hawaii. Each 11-ounce can contains about 158 milligrams of caffeine, the equivalent of one strong cup of coffee. Directions are given for drinking this beverage either iced or hot, so you can pack a can of ready-made coffee with you wherever you go.

Taste-test results: Milk in a can is almost always a bad idea, and the hazelnut flavor should definitely be avoided; but these aren’t as bad as Nescafe’s. We gave them a 2.

* Mochaccino: Produced by Boyd Coffee Co. of Portland and sold exclusively at restaurants and bars for the last seven years, this chocolate coffee drink with a hint of cinnamon is meant to be served hot or cold, or as a base for milkshakes, steamers or bar drinks. It has 53 milligrams of caffeine per six-ounce serving. Lately we’ve found it by the 1-liter carton (as opposed to the case) at Trader Joe’s for $2.99.

Taste-test results: Great blended with ice or ice cream. A little too thick on its own. Pumps up Starbucks bottled Frappuccino. Scored a 5 on the taste scale.

* Nescafe Iced Coffees: Nestle USA Inc., headquartered in Glendale, has recently come out with six flavors of iced coffee in cans: caffe latte, French vanilla, mocha, hazelnut, espresso roast and decaffeinated caffe latte. The 9.5-ounce cans sell for about a dollar each at convenience stores and other single drink outlets (delis, food marts) and are available so far only in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento, Seattle, Portland, Boston, Philadelphia and Burlington, Vt. Except for the decaf flavor, each can contains about 100 milligrams of caffeine.

Taste-test results: Every flavor tastes like yesterday’s coffee. We gave it a 1 out of pity.

COFFEE SODAS

* Big Head: From Carlsbad, Calif., comes a brand-new coffee soda with a big foamy head. Big Head mixes dark roast coffee with plain old cola to produce a concoction you wouldn’t think of making at home. (“Hey, you spilled your coffee in my soda!” “No you spilled your soda in my coffee!”) These two tastes that go great together bubble up in Aboriginal, Hazel Hut, Butter Rumba and Decafanilla flavors. Available in Seattle, San Diego and most recently Los Angeles, Big Head has 54 milligrams of caffeine per 12-ounce bottle and is sold at Bristol Farms, 7-Eleven stores and AM-PM mini marts.

Taste-test results: The best coffee-cola on the market, but not everyone liked the concept. We gave it a 5.

* Mazagran: In Southern California and Oregon, Mazagran is sold as a fountain or bottled drink in three versions: regular, decaf and spice flavor. The caffeine content is 93 milligrams per 12-ounce bottle. The newfangled beverage takes its name from the Algerian city of Mazagran, where members of the French Foreign Legion supposedly mixed their coffee with sparkling mineral water 150 years ago. It didn’t get international attention back then, but that’s probably because it didn’t carry a Starbucks label.

Taste-test results (regular flavor): New and different beverage. Not bad at all. We gave it a 4.

* Pepsi Kona: This drink from Pepsi-Cola contains Kona coffee and slightly more caffeine than regular sodas at 47 milligrams per 12-ounce can. The drink, currently available only in the Northeast, should be a big hit with college students looking for a tasty alternative to Jolt Cola.

Taste-test results: Ya gotta like Pepsi to love this one, but if you do, this is a pretty good drink. It rated a 5.

* Rageous!: The Portland microbrewery Coffee Creations brews, bottles and distributes five carbonated coffee sodas. Packaged in 12-ounce long-neck bottles, Rageous! coffee sodas can be had in coffee, espresso, nut brittle, mocha and decaf flavors. These sodas, brewed with two strong cups of coffee, are meant to be served chilled, with milk or over ice. When asked about the threat of competition from the Megalomaniacs of Coffee, President and Co-owner Jeff Ferguson said, “Mazagran is one of the best things that’s ever happened to us.” The new surge in coffee sodas has brought attention and exposure to the product he’s been brewing for the last three years. Available in Santa Barbara or by the case through a toll-free number: (800) 245-5856.

Taste-test results: Way too bitter. We dare anyone to finish an entire bottle. It rated a 1.

COFFEE BEER

* Double Black Stout: From Redhook Ale Brewery comes a thick and strong beer to which a Starbucks coffee elixir is added after brewing. It’s a stout that combines the taste of roasted barley with roasted coffee. It seems some java-lovin’ brewers at Redhook came up with this concoction (the name is a pun on the German beer variety doppelbock), but don’t think it will keep you awake so you can drink longer. It contains 5% alcohol but only 1 milligram of caffeine per 12-ounce serving. Available on tap at Barney’s Beanery, 8477 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood; Library Alehouse, 2911 Main St., Santa Monica; and Father’s Office, 1018 Montana Ave., Santa Monica. Double Black Stout, distributed by Anheuser-Busch, can also be ordered through your local liquor store or found at Bristol Farms stores in 22-ounce bottles.

Taste-test results: If you like stout, you’ll love this. We gave it a perfect 6.

EVEN MORE STUFF WITH CAFFEINE IN IT

* Water Joe: Yes, you guessed it, Water Joe is caffeinated water--colorless, odorless, flavorless caffeinated water. Water Joe boasts 70 milligrams of caffeine per 16.9-ounce bottle. Those who want a real caffeine high should try brewing coffee or tea with Water Joe. Distributed by Johnny Beverage Inc., it’s available in stores only in the Midwest, but you can have it delivered anywhere in the country; in California, it will cost you $35 to have a case of 24 bottles delivered to your door. Order by phone, (800) 862-1066, or on the Internet, at https://www.waterjoe.com

Taste-test results: Some detected a hint of bitterness on the first sip, but otherwise it tastes like chicken . . . um, I mean water. Another perfect 6. (Who doesn’t like water?)

* Guarana berry drinks: Guarana, a Brazilian berry with a reputation for being not only an appetite suppressant but an aphrodisiac, is sneaking into American soft drinks. Containing 2 1/2 times the caffeine of a coffee bean, guarana berries have been made into sodas since 1918 in Brazil. In the U.S., Pepsi-Cola has its own version of the tangy soft drink, watered-down and named Josta, but it’s not available in L.A. yet.

But Tamansari Beverage Ltd., based in Culver City, sells seven versions of a guarana drink named Sensa. These beverages are made with extract of guarana, ginseng and hops. The ginseng and the guarana lift you up while the hops relax your muscles, according to a company spokesperson. (Maybe this should be sold in the medicine aisle.) Available at Hughes, Ralphs, Waldos, Bristol Farms and various health food stores and gyms.

Taste-test results: The flavor is mild and pleasant. It scored a 5 on our chart.

* Pettera is on intern at The Times.