Everything is way too expensive…6$ for a coffee that is either gut-burning acidity (how the hell do you make an acidic cold-brew?) or di-UH-BEEt-us inducing-sweetness?

No worries, here are 3 easy drinks to enjoy at home or in a travel tumbler to save money and your taste buds. (And perhaps your sanity too)

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1. Perfect Cold Brew

• 3/4 cup of cold brew (I brew in a Toddy and I used Starbucks preground Sumatra)
• 1 cup of filtered water
• 2 tbsp heavy cream
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt

Put the ingredients in a blender and pour over ice! Makes about 3 servings.

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I have loved cold-brew since I first tried it when I worked as a barista at Seattle’s Best Coffee inside a Borders. Sigh…the good ol’ days. The cold brew there was rich, had a heavy body, and was so smooth. It was so amazing that I drank it straight up.

Alas, I have never been able to recreate that at home, but a good second option is brewing cold brew in a Toddy brewer. I have tried other methods, but none of them produce a consistent rich taste like the Toddy.

I discovered one of my favorite drinks since then — the Caribou Coffee Cold-Press! It is the perfect blend of cream, a touch of sugar, and a pinch of salt! But I was once again disheartened by the price — 6$?? So I decided to recreate it at home. Now it is yours to enjoy!

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2. Coconut Matcha

• 1 tsp matcha powder
• 1 cup coconut water
• 1/2 cup coconut milk

Using a hand-held frother, blend everything together. Makes about 1 serving.

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Summers in the Southwest are HOT, so naturally I ended up in a juice shop in the middle of the summer. It was at Pressed 4 Juice in Las Vegas where I encountered the ultimate Nectar – Coco Crack, as they eloquently call it!

I’ve never tasted anything so delicious–it rarely lasted more than 5 minutes. So needless to say, with that drink costing 8$ (at roughly $1.60 per minute), it was out of my price range. I assume they make their beverage with a fresh coconut, blending the meat and water together, but I don’t have time, nor equipment for that.

So please enjoy my imitation–it is really great for a hot day since it is rich in electrolytes.

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3. Sparkling Jamaica

• 2 cups of Jamaica/Hibiscus leaves (1400 Spices on Amazon is good)
• 8 cups of filtered water
• 1 cup of sugar
• Plain sparkling water (I use Trader Joes)

Place water into a sauce pan and boil. Once boiling, add the leaves and sugar and turn down to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes, then strain out the leaves.

Let the liquid cool and then refridgerate. Makes about 1 pitcher of Jamaica. Once ready to drink, mix the Jamaica with sparkling water to your level of flavor/sweetness (I use about 1 can of water to 1/4 cup of Jamaica).

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I discovered Jamaica when celebrating a birthday at a Mexican home in the summer of Las Vegas. So naturally, a refreshing and cold drink was necessary! The mother was an amazing cook and always had the best food and refreshments ready at any given time, Jamaica being one of them.

Authentic Jamaica is sweet and flat, so being a fan of sparkling water and semi-sweet drinks, my first thought was “I wonder how this would taste with sparkling water?” It would cut the sweetness, emphasize the tartness, and add a sparkle! And sure enough, this drink was born!

And you have the option to drink it straight or sparkling-lucky you!