I'm a runner. Before a long run I drink coffee - just black, made with my stove-top Bialetti. After runs I love drinking coconut water - it needs to be room temperature though, so I take it out of the fridge before I set off for my run and it's just right to drink when I get back. A couple of weeks ago I drank my coconut water from the same cup that I'd drunk my pre-run coffee from. There were still some coffee dregs in the cup when I poured the coconut water in, so it also took on a subtle hint of coffee. I love the taste of both coffee and coconut water and this gave me an idea. Why not make a drink that has both!
I make my coffee in a 3-cup Bialetti, so to make the espresso with coconut water I reserved 1 'cup' (the Bialetti came as a set with little espresso cups when I bought it so I regard that as my measure for one shot of espresso) for post-run and drank the rest pre-run. The single shot of espresso had plenty of time to come down to room temperature while I was out on my 20.16 km run, so all I had to do was transfer the coffee from the smaller cup into a larger one and fill the rest of the cup with coconut water. For good measure, I added a couple of drops of lion's mane mushroom extract. It tasted even better than I imagined. I thought the coffee flavour may have been diluted too much but it was certainly strong enough. With the refreshing coconut water, this was a winning combo. I can't wait to make this again!
My set-up
It turns out this is already a thing, so sadly I didn't invent the new Bulletproof coffee. Sigh.
Why coffee, coconut water and lion's mane?
Coffee -
Two to three cups of a robust brew can reduce levels of perceived exertion in athletes and increase endurance performance by an average of 24 per cent, giving you an extra push when you need it source
Coconut water -
consuming coconut water after exercise improves endurance and athletic performance. This is because it contains carbohydrate in the form of glucose (a simple sugar) and the electrolytes sodium and potassium – the crucial components in commercial sports drinks source
Lion's mane
Lion's Mane is said to improve cognitive function by reducing inflammation, encouraging neural growth and improving overall brain health ... (it) is also known to help with anxiety and depression. source