How I take my coffee...

It would be a rare golf course superintendent who doesn’t pair their morning with a hot cup of coffee. For the past handful of years, I’ve religiously prepared my coffee at home before heading out the door. The way I take my coffee is both delicious and, I believe, keeps me from reaching for the copious number of doughnuts and other sweets that are often found around the breakroom.  

I remember where I started putting butter in my morning coffee, but can’t quite remember when or why. Once I did, I was hooked and a slightly improved version is what I have had, almost every single morning since. I've been asked about my concoction a number of times over the years and I wanted to share it with you. Colloquially, this mixture of coffee, healthy fat and collagen is known as bulletproof coffee. Bulletproof is also a brand. 

This is how I make it:

We buy our beans at Costco. I’m not a coffee snob per se, but I also like good coffee, and the numerous varieties Costco offers do the trick. I mix my beans 50/50 regular and decaf. 

Before I pour the coffee, I add about two tablespoons of salted Kerry Gold butter, also from Costco. I’ve tried unsalted, but prefer the hint of salt. Next comes a scoop of collagen powder and finally, two tablespoons of MCT, both of which we get from Thrive Market. I have also used plain coconut oil and it works fine, but I prefer the MCT, which stays in liquid form, regardless of temperature. MCT stands for medium chain triglycerides and is made from coconuts. MCT oil is said to be easy for the body to metabolize and more readily available energy.

 

Next comes the key step. All that healthy fat is going to melt and sit on top of your coffee, which is not what you want. I pour my mug–typically a 20oz Yeti–about 2/3rds full and then use a hand immersion blender to emulsify the mixture. After 30 seconds or so, I top off the mug with coffee and I’m ready to go. The photos below so pre and post blending.

The coffee is very filling and you wouldn’t want to have it with a big breakfast. In fact, if I know I am going to have breakfast, I will typically skip my concoction and just have black. I would also suggest starting with smaller amounts of ingredients and building up to my recipe. Some have found this concoction to induce gastrointestinal activity.   

As with anything, if you Google bulletproof coffee, you can read more about the potential health benefits. As with anything on Google, you will also find a fair share of articles stating the opposite. Phil Mickleson is well known for consuming a similar coffee, MCT oil and collagen mixture. My experience with this coffee is much that described in the article. If you are someone who often finds themselves reaching for an unhealthy option in the morning, this may help reduce such cravings.  

One more tip. A lot of us in the golf course maintenance business are used to using the same vessel for coffee each day, with only a quick rinse between uses. If you try this method, you will want to make sure the vessel is washed well before setting it aside until tomorrow. The results of an unwashed bulletproof coffee vessel are sub-optimal.