Part of its appeal is Howard Lerner's passion for the product and the other part is the product itself. We're talking about InBru, Lerner's revolutionary method to add flavor to ground coffee. And Lerner's not just some geeky guy playing with esters in a lab, the guy's got cred...he's the co-founder of Kaldi's Coffee.
When Relish sat down with him this time last year, InBru was just being introduced. At that time we made the claim that the product "had revolutionized how coffee was flavored." Hundreds of flavored pots of coffee later, we stand by our claim.
And it's not just us. Williams-Sonoma has taken notice as well. In a March 1 press release, Lerner informs us that the specialty retailer is now carrying InBru in its 262 stores throughout the US and Canada.
The beauty of InBru is its versatility: it can be used with any coffee making device, and any coffee. As Lerner describes it, "Now one bag of coffee can do the work of 12."
Rather than spray-flavoring the coffee beans, the InBru method infuses flavoring onto a carrier (organic rice hulls), which are then added to the ground coffee in the basket. The result is a more pronounced flavor that still allows the nuances of the particular coffee to shine through.
Williams-Sonoma will carry two of InBru's flavors, Vanilla Bean and Cinnamon Stick. InBru is also available at Straub's markets and at 13 Kaldi's Schnucks market locations. All 11 flavors can be purchased at Kaldi's Cafes or through inbru.com. Our favorite by far is Highlander Grogg, Kaldi's best-selling flavored coffee since day one. Even if you don't like coffee, that maple-y, carmel-y aroma will make you question why.
