Banish Classic Coffee Jitters With An Adaptogenic Latte That Brews Up In Seconds

Few things beat a morning cold brew, but that caffeine jolt can have its downsides. Sweating, jitters, shaky hands, and anxiety are just a few of the symptoms of being over-energized. Even I, a coffee-dependent writer, experience the occasional unpleasant anxious tizzy from my morning cup. Thankfully, female-founded, California-based wellness brand Clevr Blends is here to rebrand caffeine's checkered past with healthy, mood-boosting coffee formulas and alternatives.

We're talking nourishing superfood lattes minus the 3:00 P.M. crash, full-bodied matcha mixtures, golden adaptogenic blends, and more hearty sips that can be easily prepped at home. And no, they don't come pre-made but each shelf-stable, 12-ounce latte bag makes 14 lattes for $28 (that's $2 per cup) and only requires hot water to stir up. For an extra fancy sip, however, Clevr Blends sells a frother to add some voluminous pizazz to your mug. As an daily coffee drinker with a constant hankering for professional oat milk lattes and the skills of a terrible barista, I thought I'd give the Coffee SuperLatte (containing 50 mg of caffeine rather than the usual 95 mg) a try.

You can buy each latte flavor individually or save some money on starter kits that come with a a few flavors and the supplies to get started. The Ritual Kit includes three 12-ounce Superlatte blends of your choice plus the Frother and the Scoop. The brand also offers The Starter Kit that features two bags instead of three and cashes in at $60. If you're already sold, you can also give the Latte Lovers Kit with four bags for even better value. There are six SuperLatte flavors in total — Rose Matcha, Sleeptime, Matcha, Chai, Golden, and Coffee. While each has different benefits (not all were intended for energy boosts), all six blends steer clear from dairy and refined sugar, incorporating oat milk and coconut cream into the formula instead. And, as mentioned, all individual bags make 14 cups. As for those fancy feel-good ingredients (adaptogens, mushrooms, and superfoods), they all come together to promote health and wellness naturally. Adaptogens specifically are, per Forbes Health, plant substances that may "help us adapt to external stressors." You can read all about every bag's benefits in its on site description.

Sounds like a latte lover's dream, right? Well, dreamy it was. I received four different packs, and the hues of the packaging were enough to make my stay-at-home cafe (aka my kitchen-living-dining room) feel elevated — and knowing about the "mood-boosting" ingredients, placebo-effect or otherwise, put a smile on my face. The Frother For Perfect Prep came in a lovely streamlined silver case that could easily be stashed in a drawer when not in use. I also now keep the Scoop tucked away with my other dining utensils.

Although I received four flavors, I decided to test the coffee superlatte since I knew that would be my most-used concoction. I'm not sure the word "simple" even does the process justice. Step 1: Scoop the powder and pop it into your cup. Step 2: Pour in the hot water. Step 3: Whip it up with the frother. Step 4: Enjoy. It's that easy. In fact, I can imagine some would deem it therapeutic. I definitely sat entranced like a little kid because of how elegantly the latte danced with the frother — which produced a beautifully plump and foamy beverage. The added air even cooled it down a bit and left it ready to drink.

One reviewer Joanna describes the taste as “somewhere between coffee and a creamy tea.” Another happy customer Donna C. kept it short and sweet with a simple “Delicious.” As for not-so-happy consumer Robin, they “just didn’t like the taste of it,” but still gave it two stars as opposed to a stark one. I heavily identified with Joanna. It didn't taste like an oat milk latte which I hoped for, but more so an earthy coffee-flavored drink. My regular cups of joe feature a darker, smokier robust flavor that’s softened by smooth steamed oat milk. This definitely gave off more of a fluffy milk tea vibe in comparison.

For me, this a perfect afternoon pick-me-up as opposed to a booming start to the day. I will say, this brew went up against a tough crowd: my strong coffee-loving taste buds. That being said, I know many anti-java, pro-caffeine peeps that I would immediately ship this off to. The latte was a crescendo of energy rather than a jumpstart that, unfortunately, my NYC lifestyle currently calls for. The lack of an upset stomach was also a bonus. 

So, calling all victims of caffeine-induced anxiety, unexpected bowel movements, and mid-day crashing — adding some Clevr Blends lattes to your cabinets is a *wink* smart idea.