How Protein Coffee Became a Beauty Essential
Protein coffee used to belong to the punishing corner of wellness, a place populated by shaker bottles, fluorescent lighting, and men discussing macros before sunrise. Then someone poured it into a pleasing glass, added ice, and photographed it next to a manicure. Its social prospects improved immediately.
The appeal is obvious. Coffee is already the first pleasure—or dependency—of the day. Protein has acquired the moral glow once reserved for green juice. Together they promise efficiency without the indignity of chewing when one has only just become conscious.
The promise, however, depends on texture. A good protein coffee is creamy, cold, and balanced, with enough coffee flavor to retain its adult identity. A bad one has the mouthfeel of wet drywall. No amount of cinnamon can rehabilitate it.
The most important rule is to mix the protein with milk before introducing coffee or ice. Use a handheld frother or shaker until the base is entirely smooth, then add espresso or cold brew. For a hot drink, begin with a little cool milk; very hot liquid can encourage certain powders to clump in ways that feel pointedly personal. Sweeten after tasting. Many protein powders arrive with ambitions of their own.
The choice of coffee matters, too. Protein is an addition, not witness protection. Start with espresso or cold brew you would drink without assistance. A pinch of sea salt can soften bitterness; vanilla makes the drink feel more composed; cinnamon lends the vague glamour of having remembered one’s antioxidants.
By the way, if this is starting to feel like too many steps, the GBY Protein Coffee is mocha flavored, super easy to make, and is deliciously balanced.
The mise-en-place
- Leak-resistant shaker bottle
Beauty rituals have never been strictly utilitarian, so we insist you romanticize your GBY Protein Coffee. A drink one enjoys looking at is a drink one is more likely to make, and repetition is where wellness sheds its theatrical costume and becomes a life.
GBY Wellness approaches the category from a familiar premise: the thing should work, but one should also want it. A morning ritual can be functional without looking penitential. It can taste good. It can be served over beautiful ice. It can accompany a brow appointment.
Check out the GBY Wellness page for product releases, events, and functional favorites designed for real mornings. Want more community for your healthy habits? Check out our FORM club events on our calendar page. Plus, shop the GBY Protein Coffee here.