In the pantheon on things in this world that humans don’t deserve, dogs are somewhere near the top of the list. Those goofy fluffballs possess a loyalty and affection that we have in no way earned, and still they give it freely. My dog is one of the only living things on this planet I would consider sharing my morning coffee with, which of course I can’t because the caffeine wouldn’t be good for him. And I could give him a cup full of whipped cream, otherwise known as a puppaccino, but he’s already a husky so he doesn’t need those sugar calories.
Enter Barkista, a new line of dog-friendly “coffee” to share with man’s best friend. Because sure why not.
This is not the first attempt at a coffee-like product one could share with their canine pals. Back in 2017, we reported on a Kickstarter for a similar product known as Rooffee. It failed spectacularly, for obvious reasons. Luckily, Barkista had the good sense to not decide on the worst possible name imaginable.
Barkista contains no actual coffee and is instead a mix of dehydrated goat’s milk, natural flavors, and medicinal mushrooms—lions mane, cordyceps, chaga, shiitake, maitake, red reishi, and turkey tail. It’s a chow chow chagaccino. Per the brand’s website, these mushrooms are a “dog superfood” and are said to boost your dog’s immune system, improve gut health, reduce inflammation, promote hydration, and relax and clam your furry friend. All ingredients are “100% human grade,” which sounds nice, but I’ve seen how some of you eat and my dog would never.
And Barkista has a variety of flavor options for the most discerning canine palate. Their Instant Dog Coffees come in Mocha Latte, Caramel Latte, and even Pumpkin Spice Latte. The Caramel Latte is available in pod form, also known as K9-Cups, which is super cute. Terrible for the environment, but cute.
So if you’ve ever wanted to share a cup of coffee with your teacup poodle, there’s Barkista. Or, you know, you could just pet them. They like that too.
Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.
