When it came to concocting a hemp-infused cold brew coffee, Dan Linstroth, founder of Kindly Coffee, tried several recipes before he found the one he liked best. The long-time coffee salesman used a coffee blend that took years to perfect. He tried a variety of hemp oils in varying amounts until he landed on a combination that imparts a “subtle earthy flavor” to his well-tuned palate.
But taste wasn’t the only factor in selecting the right recipe. Linstroth liked the way the addition of 10 milligrams of pure hemp extract made him feel.
“I get the mental elevation of caffeine but also the subtle stability of hemp extract,” he said. He also notices he drinks less caffeine, and the energy burst feels more sustained than a regular coffee buzz.
Linstroth founded Kindly Coffee about four years ago as a coffee marketing and sales brand. He had spent some time traveling through South America and learning about the crop. Back in Minnesota, he connected with a local roastery and continued his education, launching a business dedicated to keeping workplaces caffeinated.
A year or so ago, he met other folks starting to work with hemp. It seeded an idea to pair coffee with this new extract that has a lot of buzz around it for its reported health benefits.
Now, Kindly is focused completely on its hemp-infused cold brew coffee. The 10-ounce bottled cold brew infused with hemp oil is served at Twin Cities events, including at Art-A-Whirl in May. The company also is working with retailers to bring it to co-op or grocery store shelves at $6 or $7 a bottle.
He expects to release new flavors, including orange and vanilla, in the next couple of months, with other recipes in the works, as well.
Kindly is part of a growing startup interest in hemp and its production potential. In its marketing, Kindly claims its coffee will calm, restore, and protect the consumer’s mind and body. Though Linstroth is careful to say it is a beverage – not medicine. It’s a great new option for business and consumer, alike. But it isn’t the silver bullet some people claim.
The federal government allowed states to start piloting hemp production a few years ago. Then, in the 2018 Farm Bill, states got the green light to make their production programs permanent. Minnesota took the early start opportunity and has a leg up over states that opted out of the pilot. Farmers aren’t the only ones jumping at the opportunity.
Linstroth said it’s exciting to see a completely new industry take shape, with opportunities for new products and businesses throughout the supply chain.
“It’s fun to be in the early section of it and be part of the evolution and hopefully help steer and guide the industry as it evolves,” he said.
