I think it is fair to say that I take a certain amount abuse from people for my butter coffee drinking habit.

Although I did not start drinking butter coffee until 2017 (it has, apparently, been “hot” since 2014), it is certainly a new at my school. I think I am perhaps the only one that has been making it, although that might change now that you can get Bulletproof Coffee at Whole Foods.

So what is it? The animating idea behind butter coffee is ancient; namely, that butter contains a number of important fats, and those stimulants (such as tea or coffee) can be improved by the addition of butter. So long as the butter is emulsified in the stimulant, the effects of the stimulant are buffered, and the fats can sustain one (to feel full, to have mental clarity) for an extended period of time.

More recently, a very clever entrepreneur named David Asprey has been marketing buttered coffee aggressively. In order to monetize buttered coffee (and to sell a number of supporting products) Asprey has taken to calling his product Bulletproof Coffee. The directions for making it can be found in the blog. Now, let me begin by saying that I am a huge fan of David Asprey, and I think a good deal of what he says is very clever. However, I do not unquestioningly endorse everything he says or claims.

What do I support about Asprey? Asprey loves fats, and his thinking about the role of fats in the diet is some of the best out there. His blog, which is linked above, contains a huge volume of incredibly important information about fat metabolism. Asprey’s dietary ideas are also, in my estimate, largely sound. Asprey, as near as I can tell, is spot on when it comes to discussing the merits of grass-fed meats and fats.  Further, I think he is dead right on the role of carbohydrates in obesity. When I follow his diet, I lose weight. When I am off his diet (as I am now), I gain weight. Simple.

So I consume butter coffee because of Asprey. And I follow Asprey for the most part in making bulletproof coffee. For one, I think his idea of adding fractionated coconut oil (Caprylic acid, or C8) to the coffee is brilliant. There is no doubt that the C8 (which Asprey markets as Brain Octane) does an amazing job of improving my focus and clarity. It does a beautiful job of shutting down my appetite. Even when I am not following his diet carefully, I like cutting out a regular breakfast in favor of consuming butter coffee.

What are my reservations about Asprey? The answer is that I do not see the science behind his assertion that one should only consume HIS brand of very expensive coffee. He claims that his coffee is the only coffee not contaminated by mycotoxins. Perhaps this is so, but he has not convinced me that this is the case. I like my own brands of coffee (my favorite right now is Kicking Horse Coffee) and I have no need to spend what Asprey is asking on a product that does not convince me.

But what about the taste of buttered coffee? Contrary to most people’s expectations, it is flat out delicious. The nearest taste parallel is coffee with a ton of creamer–it is smooth and utterly delicious.  You do need a high power blender to make it (I use my Vitamix), and I do endorse using Brain Octane Oil and Kerrygold Unsalted Butter as the fats. And, it does take some time in your morning to put it together (make the coffee, blend the coffee, drink the coffee).  But the advantages of the coffee are so great that I encourage you to try it.