There is a common misconception when it comes to the caffeine content of some of our favourite java brews. For instance, did you know that a single cup of filter coffee contains more caffeine per volume than a double shot of espresso does? Yup. Mind = blown. Another one: dark roasted coffee beans might taste stronger but don't contain more energy-bursting substances.
But what about cold-brewed coffee? Well, that's a different story. According to the dudes behind Jozi's first nitro-infused cold-brewed coffee, Mighty Monk, their drinks are so loaded with the wonder substance that drinking more than two cups in an hour will have you wired for quite some time ... in fact, even one cup will get your mind buzzing. That's a good thing, right? Though there is an article floating around which states that cold-brewed coffee contains less caffeine than the average drip variant, it also states that cold brew is usually diluted (in parenthesis, that means it's stronger).
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Before we tell you all about Mighty Monk and their unique product, let's educate the 22 readers out there who don't know what cold-brewed coffee is. It's pretty much just ground up coffee beans left to steep in cold water for up to 48 hours then filtered. This (cold) brew can be used to concoct cocktails, shakes and smoothies... or if you're brave enough, enjoyed straight up.
This brings us to local heroes Gary Menachemson and Daniel Harris. Both coffee addicts and part mad scientists, the two friends happened to read about nitro-infused (yeah, Guinness and Kilkenny-style nitro-infused drinks) cold brew coffee in a book of fiction. From there Gary and Daniel developed their secret recipe in a makeshift lab they had put up in one of their parents' backyard. The two use a mixture of Costa Rican and Columbian roasted coffee beans, which gives Mighty Monk its distinctive flavour – and it has tons of flavour, that's a fact.
What interests us the most is their approach to the whole set-up. Instead of marketing this endeavour as just another exciting variation of the second most sold beverage in the world, Gary and Daniel took an approach that breweries would to market their beer – the third most sold beverage in the world. The two converted a mini bar fridge into a keg and tap system similar to that found at your local pub. They hooked up a can of nitrogen to a cylinder filled with their secret blend of cold brew to produce an ice-cold drink that's much less acidic than traditional filter coffee yet with much more of a punch when it comes to caffeine content. The pour of a Mighty Monk coffee is something of beauty – it forms a head on par with a freshly poured Guinness.
You can find Mighty Monk on weekends at the Neighbourgoods Market in Braamfontein and if they're not there then make your way to the wildly popular Pablo Eggs Go bar in Melville. They offer their brews mixed with full cream milk like a latte, with added almond, cinnamon and other flavoured syrups as well as boozy variants mixed with Amarula and/or vodka. Oh, oh and Mighty Monk is available at the Fit Cave Coffee Bar in Centurion as well... almost forgot about that one.
Find more information here.
By Shawn Greyling
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