Drink of the Week: Edda Coffee Roasters’ Elenir Anaerobic Coffee

These days, it seems that everyone wants a bit of a funky kick to their beverages. Case in point: kombucha, sour beers, or natural wines. Coffee has been following suit thanks to anaerobic fermentation. “Anaerobic process coffees have become the darlings of specialty coffee over the last couple of years,” says Charlie Eisenstat of Edda Coffee Roasters in Cleveland, Ohio. “The method is being used to process coffees across multiple different origins.”

Anaerobic coffees are completely sealed off from oxygen while the harvested coffee cherries “ferment.” The result is a more complex, fruity, and lactic acidity. Edda carries mostly light-roasted coffees, including the Elenir Anaerobic from Brazil’s Minas Gerais state. Bursting with creamy notes of strawberry, hibiscus, and marshmallow, Eisenstat likens the flavor to a nostalgic experience. “The Elenir is a throwback to childhood—coming home and making yourself a strawberry milk as an after-school treat,” he says. 10 oz./ $26.76, eddacoffee.com