Does Mushroom Coffee Have to Taste Like Mushrooms?

The question I hear most, and the rule we made before we made anything.

By Kat Sterling, Co-Founder, NuSpira

No. Mushroom coffee does not have to taste like dirt, which I know is the question you're already asking yourself. Mushroom coffee can actually taste like coffee...if you make it the right way. NuSpira starts with real Arabica coffee, and our six-mushroom blend goes inside it. If you like the taste of coffee, you'll like NuSpira.

The short version

• Mushroom coffee does not have to taste like mushrooms. How a mushroom coffee tastes depends on how it's made, and on whether the coffee or the mushrooms come first.
• NuSpira is a coffee-first mushroom coffee. It starts with real Arabica coffee and adds NUCORE 6, a blend of six organic mushrooms (Lion's Mane, Cordyceps, Reishi, Chaga, Turkey Tail, and Shiitake).
• Taste decides whether the habit lasts. NuSpira co-founder Kat Sterling could not finish the first mushroom coffee she tried. A daily habit only sticks if you want the second cup.
• NuSpira fits the way you already drink coffee. It comes in Black and Latte, hot or iced, in single-serve sticks, with 45 mg of caffeine per serving, less than half of a typical 8-ounce cup.
• The easiest way to find out is to taste it. Pick Black if you drink coffee black, or the Latte if you like it smooth and lightly sweet, and start with the NuSpira Discovery Pack at nuspira.com.

 

The question I hear most

Mushroom coffee isn't exactly new, but I'll grant it's relatively unknown. Most of the time, when I tell people we make mushroom coffee, I can see a look on their faces before they say a word, almost a grimace, before they remember who they're talking to. 

Then they ask: "Does it taste like mushrooms?"

I understand the question. I asked it too.

The short answer: It shouldn't have to.

When we decided to build a healthier daily habit, mushroom coffee kept coming up in my research. I tried one of the well-known brands. I can usually get down almost anything healthy. That one, I couldn't. The label advertised coffee, but where? That mushroom coffee tasted like a healthy drink (if you know, you know).

Yes, you could see this stuff on the shelves of major grocery stores, but if I couldn't drink it, I was willing to bet a lot of other people couldn't either.

The rule we made first

Before we picked a single ingredient, Mark and I agreed on one rule: If we say it tastes like coffee, it has to taste like coffee.

That rule decided everything after it. We did not start with the mushrooms and try to cover them up. We started with the coffee.

How we start with coffee

Taste was the first obstacle. Even if NuSpira offered the healthiest cup of coffee on the planet, it wouldn't do any good if people wouldn't drink it. So, we started from scratch.

• The base is coffee. NuSpira is made with real Arabica coffee.
• The mushrooms work with it. NUCORE 6 is our blend of six organic mushrooms: Lion's Mane, Cordyceps, Reishi, Chaga, Turkey Tail, and Shiitake.
• You drink it the way you drink coffee. Black or Latte, hot or iced, from single-serve sticks.
• You know what's in the cup. Each serving has 45 mg of caffeine, less than half of a typical 8-ounce cup of coffee.

 

Black or Latte: how to pick your first cup

The next step was to put it in a recognizable form. Most people fit into either the black or latte umbrellas. So, we made it easy: Start by matching how you already drink coffee.

• If you drink your coffee black, start with Black. The sharp bitterness of coffee with a familiar flavor.
• If you take cream or like it a little sweet, start with the Latte. It is smooth and lightly sweet. Perfect for anyone who spends a little too much time at their local coffee shop.
• Hot or iced, both work. Drink it the way you drink your coffee now.

 

What I tell people who are skeptical

I talk with people all the time who can't believe it doesn't taste like mushrooms. They try other brands because they want to do something healthier, but it's so hard for so many to stomach it.

Don't take my word for it. Make it the way you make your coffee, in your own mug, at your usual time, and taste it. That is the whole test.

Then tell me what you think. I mean that.

Frequently asked questions

Does mushroom coffee have to taste like mushrooms? No. How mushroom coffee tastes depends on how it is made. NuSpira starts with real Arabica coffee and is made to taste like coffee.

Does NuSpira taste like mushrooms? NuSpira is made to taste like coffee. It starts with real Arabica coffee, and the six-mushroom NUCORE 6 blend goes inside it.

What is the difference between NuSpira Black and Latte? Black is for people who drink their coffee black. The Latte is smooth and lightly sweet. Both use real Arabica coffee and NUCORE 6, and both can be made hot or iced.

What mushrooms are in NuSpira? NUCORE 6 is NuSpira's proprietary blend of six organic mushrooms: Lion's Mane, Cordyceps, Reishi, Chaga, Turkey Tail, and Shiitake.

How much caffeine is in NuSpira? Each serving has 45 mg of caffeine, less than half the caffeine of a typical 8-ounce cup of coffee.

How can I try it? Start with the NuSpira Discovery Pack at nuspira.com.

The next step

Discovery Pack. If you have wondered about mushroom coffee but worried about the taste, the Discovery Pack is the easiest way to find out. Pour one, and tell me what you think!

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.