Equator Coffees has teamed up with Swiss-based ready-to-drink experts Emmi Group for a range of ready-to-drink cold brew products launching in California. The team spent two years developing a line of bottled cold brews, tapping into a growing market of ready-to-drink coffee offerings.
Equator Coffees cold brew offerings are all certified Fair Trade and Organic and showcase coffees that the company has built relationships with over the years. “We’ve been long-term partners with the Ketiara Cooperative sourcing our single origin Sumatra Queen Ketiara and work with Kayon Mountain Estate in Ethiopia for other Equator coffees, including Double Happiness by Chef Brandon Jew,” explains Brett Lanford, managing director of Equator Coffees’ new RTD department.
The line-up includes a cold brew-only option, cold brew with milk and sugar, and offerings that are giving iced mocha and iced vanilla latte. The sweetened drinks are blessedly low in sugar compared to similar offerings on the market—with less than nine grams of added sugar per serving.
We spoke Brett Landford to learn more about their new products and partnership with Emmi Group.
How long have these products been in the works?
Equator Coffees and Emmi Group have worked for over two years on bringing our new offerings to market, leveraging joint capabilities and expertise to perfect the flavors and the branding.
Tell us about the flavor profile you’re going for in Pure Black.
Pure Black represents the straightforward pleasure of a well-crafted cold brew and lets customers enjoy the cafe experience they’ve come to expect from Equator Coffees while on the go. It’s also the purest expression of the base blend with its profile of semisweet chocolate, blackberry jam, apple, and dried cranberry.
Emmi is Swiss-based—does that mean the dairy comes from Switzerland?
The dairy for our beverages is sourced locally in California. We view the venture as a chance to pair Equator’s rich coffee history with Emmi’s significant experience in building a globally successful RTD coffee brand. Together, this is the foundation to launch distinctive cafe-quality bottled cold brew beverages that will drive growth in the category.
The product launches in well-known grocery stores: Safeway, Whole Foods, Mollie Stone’s Markets, and Erewhon Market—can you tell us about any convenience stores or specialty shops carrying them?
We are working with California-based specialty distributors who are adding Equator RTD to beverage sets across California.
What’s next for the Equator RTD journey?
We’re currently focusing our efforts on building our footprint in California and expanding across new markets. To follow along, we invite fans to visit drinkequator.com and @equatorcoffees.
Thank you!
Photos by Zachary Carlsen.
Ready To Drink is a feature series on Sprudge Media Network. Got a canned coffee or otherwise “Ready To Drink” product you’d like to see featured? Get in touch!
