Just add coffee

New York – Dairy brand Organic Valley has opened a pop-up milk bar that parodied artisanal coffee culture.

• Organic Valley is the number one half-and-half brand in the US
• An accompanying video pokes fun at the elitism associated with coffee culture

Organic Valley dairy farmer Gerrit van Tol journeyed to the big city to open the unique coffee shop, which only sold Organic Valley Half & Half, a ready-made mix of milk and cream. For £1.40 ($2, €1.80), visitors could choose from a selection of three pours, including Lil Bit, Double and Lotta – a clear parody on Starbucks’ Tall, Grande and Venti cup sizes. Coffee was served as a free add-on that visitors could have stirred into their cream-milk mix.

The marketing stunt was designed to highlight the value of high-quality dairy in the coffee-making process, a factor that is often overshadowed by the debate around the type of bean or artisanal roasting method used. Organic Valley products are made from the milk of pasture-raised cows.

‘At most coffee shops, you have no idea what kind of cream you are pouring into your coffee, or if it’s even organic,’ van Tol said in a statement. ‘It just made sense that we should have our own coffee shop that focuses on what we believe is the most important ingredient.’