Meet the Brains Behind Our Milk & Honey Cold Brew

As Saxbys Product Development Manager, Lori Kuserk is constantly coming up with delicious new drink combinations – we all eagerly look forward to her taste tests. We have Lori to thank for our mind-blowing, all-natural spring drink: Milk & Honey Cold Brew. (If you haven’t tried it yet, what are you waiting for?)

Lori took a break from coming up with mouthwatering concoctions and beekeeping (yes, beekeeping!) to talk to us about her inspiration for Milk & Honey Cold Brew…including her recommendation for how to order it.

When you started brainstorming Saxbys’ spring drink, what was on your mind?

I started thinking about spring back in October. Overall, for spring I knew I wanted something light and refreshing to drink, something that makes us excited and reminds us warm weather is coming.

You went through quite an extensive testing process to come up with this drink!What inspired you to combine milk and honey? 

Milk and honey is a natural combination to me. Both ingredients are soothing and relaxing. Also, honey is very much on trend so I knew I wanted to incorporate it into our spring drink in some fashion. It is such a simple, refreshing, familiar flavor and a great way to sweeten things up.

It’s so cool that our spring drink includes our Cold Brew Iced Coffee. Why did you decide to use cold brew instead of espresso? How did you know milk and honey would mix well with it? 

I LOVE (love, LOVE) our Cold Brew so I look for an excuse to drink it whenever I can. I did try a milk & honey iced latte and it is delicious, but the Cold Brew version is so much lighter and refreshing. It better complements the warmer seasons. Everyone who has tried it liked the iced latte but went absolutely insane when they tried the Milk & Honey Cold Brew. I realized what a perfect match honey is with the naturally rich, caramel flavor notes found in our Cold Brew. After the very first tasting it was a no-brainer I needed to pursue the Milk & Honey Cold Brew.

One thing a lot of people may not know is that you’re a beekeeper! Can you describe exactly what that entails? Did that influence your decision to put honey in the drink? 

I’ve been a beekeeper for almost four years and am still learning as I go. Over the winter I supply the hives with bags of simple syrup every few weeks to supplement their winter food source. When the weather gets warmer I will start routine inspections every week or so, opening the hives to make sure they’re healthy and productive. Bees are astounding and important creatures. The rewards of beekeeping go beyond honey and pollination. Bees produce other products that can be harvested. The importance of honey bees could be the subject of an entire interview on its own…but yes, love for my bees and honey had an influence on the idea for Milk & Honey Cold Brew.

You tested almond, soy, 2%, skim milk and more for this drink. Which would you recommend to guests?

They all tasted great. My recommendation: Go with what makes you happy!

What’s your fave thing to do while sipping on Milk & Honey Cold Brew?

So far, seeing other people’s initial reactions when they take their first sips. It’s been an amazing response. 

When the weather warms up, I definitely see myself drinking it after a good run, or drinking it while sitting out in the sun, chatting with friends or reading a book. 

What song creates the perfect soundtrack for drinking Milk & Honey Cold Brew? 

I very literally just went through my iPod and took sips to different songs…Sleigh Bells’ song “Rill Rill” is a perfect match. It’s mellow, catchy, addictive, and it makes me want to drive with all the windows and the sunroof open.