Drink of the Week: Kloo Coffee Concentrate

It takes very little persuasion for me to sample a new coffee product. I am a devout, daily coffee drinker, and I find the innovative arc of instant coffee to be particularly fascinating. Launched earlier this year, Kloo is a craft coffee concentrate formulated by roaster and Q-grader Mariella Cho and her daughter Claudia Snoh, with the aim to make single-origin coffees ready to prepare—hot or cold—instantly.

Kloo currently sources coffee from four regions: Colombia, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Guatemala. Emphasizing transparency, Kloo shares the exact region of origin, the grade and processing style of the beans, and their cupping scores. All beans are roasted in-house and then brewed into small batches of a 12x liquid concentrate, which is stored and shipped cold to preserve flavor and aroma. Each variety is dialed in to highlight the inherent flavor of the beans—Colombia presents notes of blackberry, almond, and maple syrup, while Ethiopia is bright with peach and jasmine.

I sampled the concentrates both hot and cold, and the result was a remarkably bright and fresh-tasting cup. However, now that we’re in the height of summer, I appreciate the ease with which I can make an iced coffee, as I often lack the patience or foresight to make cold brew. My favorite is the Kenyan, with notes of lemongrass, grapefruit, and dark chocolate. Poured over ice and sweetened with a splash of mint syrup from Cheeky, the drink is my new daily go-to. $32/8.5 oz., drinkkloo.com