The first time I saw the name MUD\WTR, it took me a moment to puzzle it out, after which I laughed heartily. What is coffee, if not muddy water after all? The name reminds me of nothing so much as my dad’s camp coffee, grounds and all, which he always claimed was good for “clearing out the old plumbing.” My father is a colorful man, and after a lifetime spent in the chilly Pacific Northwest, he will pretty much drink anything if it’s hot enough.
In truth, MUD\WTR is not coffee — it’s a coffee alternative, one that offers similar benefits, like the added energy, without the drawbacks (like the inevitable crash, potential sleep disruption, and the propensity for addiction). The idea for this coffee substitute grew from a desire for more. As the website states, “We weren’t mad at coffee, just disappointed.”
This frustration sprang from a promise that coffee simply couldn’t deliver on. Sure, we all enjoy our morning coffee ritual: Brewing a pot, reveling in the familiar aroma, and taking that first sip – it’s bitter, to be sure, but it’s also full of hope that this is the beginning of a beautiful day. It’s what happens after the routine that ruins the heady love affair.