I drink a ton of coffee. I have for years. I love wrapping my fingers around a hot mug or cup of it before taking that first big swig and inhaling the steamy+roasted aroma that always comes with it. I buy the beans whole and love grinding them, and the rich, nutty scent that’s released when I do. So drinking coffee is definitely an intense sensory experience, and one that I start every single day off with.
But sometimes I get so lost in that sensory experience that I can overdo it by consuming way more coffee than I probably should. What follows is always jitteriness, and that’s never a good thing. So when the nice folks over at SOL Natural Foods asked if I’d like to try Macaccino, their new maca-based coffee alternative, I thought, “why not?” I could switch over to Macaccino after a cup or two of regular coffee but only if it tasted similar enough to what I crave in the first place. Plus, it requires no brewing which makes it easy to whip up in a couple of minutes.
Here are my thoughts on the two blends I tried:
Macaccino Original Mocha: Just add 1 tablespoon of the maca blend with 8-9 oz. hot water and whisk to blend. The powder which contains a blend of roasted maca, cocoa powder, mesquite powder, cinnamon and nutmeg blended easily when whisked into the hot water. I immediately smelled a rich and smoky aroma, and it looked more like hot chocolate than regular coffee. The first sip was incredible—it tasted and smelled more like coffee than, well, my usual coffee. It finished clean and kept me going back for another sip. Definitely loved it!
Macaccino Black Maca Reserve: to make this blend, you follow the same process—easy! This black maca blend is hand-roasted and also contains red maca and yellow maca, cocoa, mesquite powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and beetroot powder. This tasted similar to the original mocha, but maybe a bit smokier with a subtle hint of sweetness. Very nice.
The verdict: These products are great! Although I’m never going to give up regular coffee, Macaccino is a great alternative to have around when I want that third or fourth cup of coffee but don’t want to deal with the jitteriness that comes with it—and it’s especially good if I want something hot to drink at night. Plus maca is a superfood, boasting an array of health benefits.
Read more about SOL Foods here. These products are 100% organic/non-GMO, certified vegan + gluten-free and use much less water to produce than coffee and are more sustainable, because they does not require de-forestation or irrigation to produce.
Now, onto the giveaway!
SOL Natural Foods is offering a fantastic giveaway, offering the following package to one lucky winner:
1 30-cup bag of Macaccino Original Blend
1 30- cup bag of Macaccino Magical Mint
1 30-cup bag of Macaccino Black Reserve
1 Bamboo spoon
1 Superfood Superhero t-shirt (M or L size available, winner’s choice)
1 Stainless steel travel thermos
1 Coupon for free shipping for a future order via the website (not an in-store/retail coupon)
To enter, just repin any of the images in this post and let me know you did in a comment, or leave a comment that includes your favorite hot drink. Or both! 🙂
I’ll randomly select a winner on Friday, June 10. (Shipping is restricted to US only) Good luck!
The winner of this giveaway is Amey, congrats! Thanks to everyone who entered.
Disclosure: This post has been sponsored by SOL Natural Foods, the makers of Macaccino. All opinions expressed here are honest and my own.
Phoebe says
My favorite non-coffee hot beverage is a matcha green tea latte!
Phoebe says
I pinned an image to my pinterest account! @phoebestinson
erinwyso says
Thanks Phoebe!
Adri says
My fovorite hot drink is drinking chocolate (made with non-dairy milk) spiked with orange liqueur.
Sarah McLaughlin says
I love a warm comforting cup of hot chocolate or a hot cup of tea on a rainy day.
Sarah McLaughlin says
I also pinned your Giveaway picture of the products on my Pinterest ( @veggiessarah)
erinwyso says
awesome, thanks! 🙂
Johanna says
I love coffee in the morning, but my only, local vegan place has a beverage that we get once a week which contains SHILAJIT. Look it up, it’s amazing. Now to repin this contest. johanna@woodbury.org
erinwyso says
That does look amazing, never heard of it! Thanks for repinning, Johanna!
Kate says
I love a mug of lemon, ginger, spearmint, or many other teas, but I’d be super excited to give this a try!
Kori says
I pinned it! My favorite hot drink is golden mylk ?
Kaylie says
My favorite hot drink would probably be coffee or chai tea with lots of soy milk and stevia!
Ania K says
While I tend to go for the easy soy latte on a daily basis, my favorite is to get a soy dirty chai. A little sweet with a bit of that caffeine punch to it!
Rachel says
I’m a coffee girl too, with almond creamer please! Definitely interested in trying this, especially if it passed your taste test!
erinwyso says
Rachel, this stuff is so close to coffee it’s crazy!
charj says
My favorite drink is iced black tea
Sara Smith says
I recently tried this at a vegan festival, it’s so yummy! I deal with chronic illness and it creates abnormal heart racing, so coffee was at the top of the list for me to cut out. I love the taste of coffee and the energy it brings, so it’s been difficult to remove from my day to day rohthine. This seems to be a fantastic natural alternative! My favorite hot drink at the moment would have to be Dandelion Root tea 🙂 It has that roasted earthy taste and a ton of health benefits! Highly recommend. Thank you for the opportunity to win such lovely goodies, lots of love and light!
erinwyso says
I’ve never tried dandelion root tea, but now may have to check it out — thanks for the recommendation!
Sara Smith says
Also pinned 🙂 @saraalsmith
Kelly says
Ooh, love this! I’m a hot drink fiend: coffee, tea, coffee alternatives… love ’em all. But I haven’t tried this one! Great giveaway; thanks!
Jessica Estremera says
Pinned, thank you!
Amelia says
Yum! Thanks for the opportunity. I pinned (onefullcircle). I love that mug! My favorite hot drink at the moment is a mix of Colombian coffee and ground cocoa beans with a teaspoon of maple syrup. Mmm…
Cadry says
Like you, I love the morning ritual of grinding coffee beans, smelling the coffee brewing, and taking that first, second, and third sip.
I pinned this post here: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/71283606580984409/
Jordan says
I pinned it https://www.pinterest.com/pin/97531148159125112/
I love non-caffeinated coffee alternatives, so I’m stoked to try Macaccino. Ever try Kaffree Roma or Pero?
Jenny says
I love Sarah Britton’s superfood hot chocolate, which uses maca, and this looks like a great way to have it without all of the work!
Gina says
I pinned this onto my Pinterest board! They look delicious!! I recently (3 weeks) gave up coffee and would love this!
Gina says
My pin link.
http://pin.it/ojx2Ojh
Teri Miller says
I pinned several images to Contest and one to Drinking for Health! I make my own ginger lemon tea sweetened with agave. And I love a lot of herbal teas I get from The Republic of Tea.
Janel Gradowski says
I have never heard of this. Love that it is made with maca! I would love something that I can drink in the evening without worrying about being awake half of the night because of caffeine.
Em says
So far my favorite hot beverage is tea but if love to like coffee more! You can almost always find good coffee but not so much good tea.
Jacky says
My favorite hot drink is coffee spiced with cardamom or nutmeg!
Amey says
Omg. I really really want to win this! Like you, I have several cups of coffee a day. I usually just have caffeine in the morning, and decaf after that. But then I learned that coffee and tea (even decaf!) prohibit iron intake and that you should wait three hours (!!!) after eating an iron-rich meal before drinking coffee and I was sad! I’ve been searching for a good coffee substitute ever since!
AJ says
My favorite hot drink is coffee as well, although a vanilla rooibos latte isn’t too far behind!
Mandy says
OH!!! These sound amazing!!!! And what an AWESOME giveaway!!! I recently gave up coffee and there are definitely days when i miss it…and reading your post here made me crave that delightful hot mug of deliciousness 🙂 I pinned this post and I’ve got to say, now that I’m no longer a coffee drinker, my favorite hot beverage is either turmeric tea or a chai latte! Also…I want that mug!! 😉
Stephanie says
I love green tea with a bit of soy/almond milk and stevia.
Christina says
Posted on pinterest, and my favorite drink ever is probably a cashew milk lavender mocha. So amazing!
rhonna says
despite not drinking caffeine for years, my favorite thing all through winter is a super hot cup of coffee… these sound amazing, i would love to try them! thanks!
Jennifer says
Repinned (pinterest account onesonicbite) and I am very excited about this! I am pregnant and trying to cut down on my coffee since I love strong and bold coffee. I think my favorite is a white chocolate lavendar latte I had at a tea shop in Philly (it is now closed 🙁 ) It wasn’t vegan so maybe one day I will veganize it myself.
judith says
i love matcha tea
Ally says
While I love a good coffee, Mexican hot chocolate with frothed milk is always a favorite!
Susan Christy says
Pinned – https://www.pinterest.com/pin/132293307783233581/
sarah says
forever coffee. i cant get enough