Drink of the Week: Blue Bottle’s NOLA Instant Coffee

Sometimes a beverage becomes so synonymous with a place that it adopts the geographic moniker as a description of style. Such is the case in New Orleans, where the use of roasted chicory root helped to stretch the coffee supply during Civil War blockades. However, the rich, bold flavor proved popular. Today, a New Orleans–style coffee is essentially shorthand for coffee brewed with chicory, such as you would find at the historic Cafe de Monde, alongside a plate of beignets dusted in snow drifts of powdered sugar. But for those not living in the Crescent City, the new NOLA instant coffee from Blue Bottle is a surprisingly delicious substitute.

Blue Bottle founder James Freeman is notably a fan of New Orleans–style coffee. He began selling his own version at San Francisco farmers markets in 2005 as an iced latte alternative. The brand’s iced NOLA coffee has since become a global favorite, and the company has an entire line of products in the category. The newest, rolled out last week, is the NOLA instant coffee, a water-soluble mix of sugar, instant coffee, and chicory root power.

If you were feeling motivated, you could easily brew up a batch of your own New Orleans Chicory Cold Brew. But if your cravings, like mine, tend to be sudden and unpredictable, the individual packets of the NOLA instant coffee hit the mark in a snap. Simply mix the powder with 4 ounces of cold water, 4 ounces of your milk of choice, and top with ice. Rich and sweet, the flavor is unmistakable and a delightful little liquid vacation to New Orleans. Unfortunately, you’re on your own for the beignets. $10/5-pack, bluebottlecoffee.com