Bulletproof

Featuring Josh Cooper

When Josh told me we were having bulletproof coffee, the first thing that came to my mind was the catchy synthpop jam by La Roux. I couldn’t have been more off… Josh Cooper is more authentic than some pop radio hit. He made sure to brief me on the history of bulletproof and how it is “designed to sustain you, even if you don’t have any additional food”. Perfect for an on-the-go mom like me! I shouldn’t have expected anything less than his original version, tailor-made for My Mocha Diaries.

The chill tracks of Devendra Banhart were drowned out by the blender as I watched Josh’s artful ingredients froth together. A combination of coffee, coconut oil, and grass-fed butter made up the bulletproof, but it was the added spices and chocolate that made my taste buds melt with satisfaction.

I enjoyed my coffee catching up with the Cooper family. Josh is a visionary with lots of ideas and talent, which is what fuels the success behind his company Whitelabel Collaborative… but what I dig most about Josh is the way he adores his wife, Negar. She is his most special ingredient!

How do you like your coffee?
Black or Bulletproof.

First coffee memory?
Back in high school, we used to have this place called K&J’s Drive & Shop which was basically a drive through carryout near the high school. Would drive through before school and grab a “cappuccino”, which in hindsight was probably just sugar, corn syrup, coffee and milk.

What made you start drinking coffee?
I’ve always been a night person but society sometimes requires my presence in the mornings, enter coffee 🙂

Favorite mug?
For years I’ve had my “Bad Ass Coffee Company” mug that I bought on a trip to Hawaii some 15 years ago. It has a cool story on the back about the mules or asses that carried the coffee beans up and down the Hawaiian mountains. It’s now very faded and beat up but still the “go-to” mug.

Time of day you most need a caffeine fix?
I usually take my first sip after breakfast, around 9:30 am or so, I try to start the day with lemon water first. I always drink another cup after lunch and occasionally drink half coffee, half hot water into the late afternoon if I’m particularly busy or it’s cold outside.

If you could be anywhere in the world drinking a coffee?
Italy. There really isn’t a close second… the Espresso is unbelievably good and you can always get an Americano if you are craving something closer to American-style drip coffee.

What does coffee mean to you?
Coffee is comfort, it’s energy, it’s productivity and it can even be recovery. Not enough sleep = coffee, too much to drink = coffee, need to get an unbelievable amount of work done = coffee. As a classic extrovert, I love meeting people and experiencing new things, I’ll spend the amount of time it takes to drink a cup of coffee with just about anyone who wants to chat.

Thank you, Josh, Negar and Rassa for your friendship and for teaching me how to make my morning bulletproof! Read below for Josh’s special recipe and ingredients.

Josh’s Picks
• Organic coffee, whole bean, usually from Costco. It’s key to use filtered water and grind just before brewing.
• In the vitamix: Add a large chunk of Kerrygold Grassfed Butter, a heaping scoop of organic coconut oil and add coffee. That is the basic formula for bulletproof.
• My super bullet proof includes a couple of add-ons: turmeric powder, cayenne pepper (which makes the turmeric more bioavailable) and cinnamon.
• And special just for Mocha Diaries – Hot Chocolate from Williams-Sonoma.