I never feel more proud of myself than when I see a good deal at the grocery store and use it as a chance to really stock up! I’m talking about cabinets overflowing, the fridge needs to be latched shut—I want there to be no space left in my kitchen! Stockpiled products can really get old quickly though, so I’m always on the hunt for a new way to morph them into something fun! Take cold brew for example—stocking up on it helps reduce your trips to the coffee shop, but you need ways to upgrade your cold brew so you’re not choking it down. I asked the Sporked crew for their cold brew upgrades and sure they seem a little funky, but give them a shot!
- Newman’s Own Lemonade
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Starbucks combined lemonade and cold brew first, but they are a global powerhouse so clearly it’s worth trying. Skip the lines at Starbucks (and save some money) by using Newman’s Own Lemonade to upgrade your cold brew! In Sporked’s lemonade taste test, Justine found Newman’s Own came very close to capturing the true essence of fresh-squeezed lemons. Imagine how awake you’ll be with a zesty kick to your cold brew and a bite of sweetness with just one simple upgrade.
Read the full ranking of the best lemonade
- Fever-Tree Mediterranean Tonic Water
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Tonic water may not be so much of a tonic anymore, but it’s still worth starting your day by using it to dilute your favorite cold brew concentrate. Fever-Tree Mediterranean is a unique tonic water that includes rosemary and lemon thyme in its flavor profile. If you like a fragrant morning bev, this is the cold brew upgrade for you. If the caffeine from the cold brew doesn’t wake you up, the carbonated tonic water is sure to do the trick. The best cold brew upgrades are versatile—you can start your day with a kicked-up cold brew and end it with the perfect Gin & Tonic!
Read the full ranking of the best tonic water
- Smucker’s Orange Marmalade
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A bitter drink like coffee is begging for something sweet to balance it out, so what’s stopping you from using orange marmalade as that sweetness? Paddington Bear would be so proud! Upgrading your cold brew with a spoonful of orange marmalade adds a wonderful burst of citrus and zesty little bits of rind for some texture. Bet you never knew you wanted coffee with texture.
Read the full ranking of the best orange marmalade
- Jeni’s Darkest Chocolate
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In my opinion, a mocha is the best thing to get at a coffee shop. Deep notes of chocolate help smooth out the bitterness of espresso, so who says you can’t create your own version with this clever cold brew upgrade? Skip the ice cubes in your cup and scoop a dollop of of Jeni’s Darkest Chocolate into your morning cold brew to keep things cool! Gwynedd Stuart, Sporked’s managing editor, loved Jeni’s Darkest Chocolate because it is very chocolatey. So chocolatey, in fact, that it can hold up to even the most flavorful cold brew coffee.
Read the full ranking of the best chocolate ice cream
- Coca-Cola Classic
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Coca-Cola sells Coke and coffee in a can and, shockingly enough, we kind of like it. But why wouldn’t you just make it yourself? Upgrade your cold brew with just a splash of Coca-Cola Classic and achieve a more perfect soda-to-coffee ratio. This is a refreshing way to add a little bit of sweetness and an extra kick of caffeine to start off your morning.
Read the full ranking of the best Coke flavors
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