Before the Zumba Party at Beyond Greenhills the other night, I walked with co-teachers to the newest coffee joint across the Beyond Studio at Metropointe Center, San Juan. Backyard Coffee serves good coffee (they have a strong brew which I love), offers a handful of meal choices and has a good atmosphere. Ever since it opened, I would hang out and order a cup of Americano before teaching my class at the studio.
So last Friday, I went up to the bar to order a cup. I sat next to a co-teacher and found her talking to a guy at the bar. His name was Mark Dee. Mark offered a free cup of what seemed to be a special brew. If I were to accept any drink from a stranger, it would probably be a cup of coffee. At a bar. In a cafe.
Mark brought out a couple of bottles. One was labeled Clarified Grass-Fed Butter (Ghee), and the other, MCT Oil (Medium Chain Triglycerides). The barista poured about a spoonful of oil from each of the two bottles into freshly brewed coffee and began to blend them all together. A bit of Xylitol was added into the mixture as a sugar replacement. The result was a creamy beverage that looked and tasted almost like a latte. Before I knew it, I was halfway through my cup. Now, I know things happened way too fast. The preparation took only a few minutes and I was just as quick . As I was drinking the other half of my Battle Brew, I made sure Mark told me more about it.
Battle Brew is a mixture of brewed coffee and healthy oils (MCT and Clarified Butter or Ghee from Grass-fed cows). This power combo fuels up the body, boosts metabolism, increases the brain’s ability to focus and optimizes the body’s overall performances. At about 300+ calories a cup, Battle Brew provides you with (good) fat, moderate protein and a good amount of carbohydrates, enough to replace your usual breakfast. It can also sustain you through physical activity making it a good pre-workout drink. According to Mark, this is great for Crossfitters, athletes, the regular gym-goers and even yogis. 😉
Four things go into the brew:
1. Brewed Coffee- Any regular brewed coffee will do. But they’ve partnered with Backyard Coffee and now the cafe serves Battle Brew for only Php150 per cup.
2. MCT Oil (Medium Triglyceride Oil)- Think of it as coconut oil concentrate. The saturated fat boosts metabolism, increases the brain’s capacity to focus and even cures several health problems. Now, don’t get turned off by the words “oil” and “saturated fat”. The thing is Saturated Fat from Coconut Oil is very healthy and beneficial for the body. The body actually needs good fat (like the ones you get from eating avocados) in order to feel fuller, longer. MCTs are easily digested and metabolized by the body, unlike other forms of fat. The awesome thing about it is that this actually helps you burn body fat. Perfect for weight loss.Learn more about MCTs here.
3. Clarified Grass-Fed Butter (Ghee)- Clarified butter is fat rendered from the butter that we all know and use. The milk solids are separated and skimmed off to leave a clear yellowish residue. Ghee is known to lower the risk of heart problems and decrease body fat in overweight individuals. Battle Brew prides itself in using only clarified butter from grass-fed cows to maximize its nutritional value.
4. Xylitol- You got it. Apart from the wonders it does to your teeth, Xylitol acts as a sweetener that doesn’t cause the same spike in insulin as regular sugar. However if you like your coffee black, feel free to skip this one.
As for Battle Brew’s effect on me that night, let’s just say I survived leading a 90-minute, high intensity Zumba Party without having to eat anything prior to the event. I drank one cup at around 6:30, partied like crazy at 7:30 and had dinner at 11PM. And I wasn’t really starving then. My energy didn’t really shoot up but it certainly didn’t crash either.
Only downside to it is that the complete Battle Brew is not suitable for vegans. Apart from that, not everyone is comfortable with using Xylitol as a sweetener. Luckily, Battle Brew allows you to purchase these items separately. You may opt to just grab yourself a bottle of MCT oil which, on its own, already has a ton of health benefits IMO. If you’re interested to learn more about Battle Brew, check out their website here or follow them on Instagram @battlebrew.
New to the idea of Battle Brew? Let me know what you think in the comments section below.
