Cold Brew, Hot Mess
Pop & Bottle, where coffee is not just coffee, it’s a lifestyle…so they say.
But is it really, though?
According to their website, every sip is a “moment of indulgence” and an “act of self-care.”
That’s a lot of pressure for an 8 oz can. But hey, who wouldn’t want to sip their way to enlightenment?
Dive into this Vanilla Cold Brew review, and find out whether it’s worth trading your rent money for.
Pop & Bottle began in 2015 with two friends, Jash and Blair, who met in London, England and later moved to California. A women-owned and women-led company… I dig it.
Women empowering women! YES!
Like true coffee connoisseurs, they were unimpressed by the coffee options around them and decided to make their own.
(Isn’t this how most products start? People are dissatisfied with their favorite products, so they make their own, which they think is better.)
Armed with homemade almond milk, oat milk, and a dream, they launched Pop & Bottle.
Jash and Blair set out with a mission to create coffee products that are
dairy-free, refined-sugar-free, and made from simple, whole foods.
It’s all about being plant-forward, sustainable and empowering you to
“reclaim mini-moments of indulgence.”
Fancy talk for “we made coffee that’s kind of healthy.”
The Vanilla Cold Brew is a showstopper (or so they say)—a creamy blend of organic almond milk, vanilla, clove, cardamom, and dates (uhm excuse me, but I keep repeating this… I don’t like dates), mixed with fair-trade cold brew coffee.
They promise it’s perfect for breakfast, post-workout, or your morning commute.
Here’s the complete ingredient list:
Almond milk
Dates
Cold brew coffee
Vanilla extract
Pink Himalayan salt
Clove extract
Cardamom extract
Pop & Bottle’s marketing is dripping with health buzzwords:
Plant-based: Crafted with homemade oat and almond milks and dates for sweetness.
No refined sugar: Sweetened with dates because, apparently, sugar from fruit is morally superior (DUH!)
100% pure: No additives, just “simple, purposeful ingredients.”
Sustainable: Certified organic, direct trade, and planet-friendly.
They even throw in benefits like heart-healthy omega-3s, plant protein, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory properties, and collagen. So, it’s basically a health supplement disguised as coffee. Pretty cool if you ask me.
I’m not going to get into what all those benefits are because google is a thing and you can just look it up…you’ll learn the information better that way ;) as my teachers, mother, and husband would say. HAH!
Now let’s talk money, because this is where things get wild.
Thrive Market: $3.09 for one can.
Walmart: $2.85 for one can.
Amazon: Vanilla Cold Brew isn’t even available as a 12-pack, but if you want a single can? That’ll be $40. Yes, $40. For one can. (Almost as if it’s a rare flavored commodity?)
If you’re open to other flavors, you can get a 12-pack for around $40, which brings it down to $3.33 per can. Still, that’s a very hefty price for something that lasts maybe 30 seconds.
For comparison, my beloved Folgers Colombian Coffee costs $7.76 for a 9.6 oz can of ground coffee.
That lasts me over a week, even with my extreme caffeine addiction.
With Pop & Bottle’s prices, I’d need to take out a loan just to keep up with my coffee habit. And that’s no joke.
If cans aren’t your thing, Pop & Bottle also offers coffee concentrates in flavors like vanilla and matcha.
These range from $12 to $30, depending on the flavor. While they might be more cost-effective than the cans, they’re still significantly pricier than your average bag of coffee grounds.
And hello! Didn’t you know this momma is on a budget?! I got two kids!
I wonder how long these bottles of concentrates would last me?
Before we dive in, here’s a pro tip straight from the can: Shake it like you're trying to wake my husband up from a dead sleep (extremely heavy sleeper here, some days I think I might just have to push him off the bed…lol…I’m totally kidding…Maybe…Nah, I love him too much)
Now, let’s crack this open and see what we’re working with.
The first whiff? It smells a bit like those Starbucks Vanilla Frappuccino glass bottles you can grab at the grocery store or gas station. There’s a noticeable hint of vanilla extract, which is promising.
But then I took a sip.
Ugh. I am not a fan. And I actually had some high expectations…
The Aftertaste: It’s bad. Really bad. I’m sitting here with this lingering, unpleasant flavor that just won’t quit, and anything with a bad aftertaste is an automatic no for me. Repulsive.
The Oat Milk Problem: After trying this and a few other oat milk products recently, I’ve come to a life-changing realization: I don’t like oat milk. It’s just not for me. So perhaps if you like oat milk, you may like this. I just don’t.
The Flavor: Where’s the coffee? I can barely taste it. There’s a faint hint of vanilla, but it’s so subtle that it feels like it got lost somewhere in the mix. It almost tastes like watered-down coffee, it isn’t strong at all... and I LOVE strong coffee.
This is not the iced vanilla coffee experience I know and love. When I make my coffee at home with my trusty Folgers, it’s bold, flavorful, and exactly what I need to kickstart my day.
(Kind of. At this point, I probably need to chew on power lines for the amount of energy I need to keep up with these kids.)
Unfortunately, this latte is just a watered-down disappointment.
I think I’ll stick to my homemade coffee and the occasional treat from 7Brew or Starbucks. At least I know what I’m getting there.
In my brutally honest opinion, it's gonna be a hard pass. Between the sky-high prices, the terrible taste, and the tiny serving size, it’s just not worth it…at all.
Maybe I need to try a concentrate instead?
If you’re seeking indulgence, pour yourself a cup of regular coffee, add a splash of your favorite creamer, and light a candle.
Congratulations, you’ve reclaimed your mini-moment of self-care—without breaking the bank and without a terrible aftertaste.
As for Jash and Blair? Props for the hustle, but maybe focus on making the coffee shine a little brighter next time. The idea is solid, but the execution? Not quite there for me.
Sorry Pop & Bottle, it’s an
IMBHO-NO!
