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Most of our morning routines are often just that: ritualistic motions pared down to their simplest forms. Maximum efficiency, minimal effort. That usually means having the same thing for breakfast, paired with a familiar warm drink. Food in the belly, shoes on the feet, and we’re out the door. But the path of least resistance requires novelty to keep things fresh.
Even passive social media scrollers have heard of turmeric lattes, often referred to as “golden milk.” With their fluorescent orange tinge, turmeric lattes are offered as an alternative to plain drip coffee and espresso-based drinks or tea, and tout many health benefits, from increased libido to reduced inflammation. Good Day Latte, a Los Angeles-based company founded by longtime Oregonian Corey Coverstone, hopes to turn turmeric lattes from buzzy curiosities to a new morning routine staple for any day of the week.
Coverstone, once a touring musician and now an avid BMX rider, started Good Day Latte as a way to help himself heal from his often intense, physically demanding lifestyle. Turmeric lattes helped heal him, he says, and less than a year after founding Good Day Latte, the brand has worked its way into more than a dozen coffee shops, mainly concentrated around Los Angeles, but slowly creeping out toward Arizona and, of course, his native Oregon.
Turmeric, a rhizome, has been used for centuries around the world, prized for its fiery golden-orange color and utility as a natural textile dye. Often consumed in stews and curries, turmeric contains a polyphenol called curcumin, noted for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. As such, turmeric has long been used as a natural remedy to help treat arthritis, hyperlipidemia and diabetes, and can aid in relief of muscle soreness and recovery after exercise.
The rest of the Good Day Latte ingredient list reads like a pho recipe. Ceylon cinnamon appears for its anti-bacterial and -fungal properties and spice. Black pepper to increase curcimin’s bioavailability. Ginger aids in functional digestion, and cardamom adds a piney, floral warmth and balance to the brothy latte. The superfoods maca root and lucuma add prebiotic nutrients and a boost of vitamin C, with the latter adding a light butterscotch aroma. Two mushrooms lend a subtle umami flavor: cordyceps, a fungus that lives on caterpillars and other insects in the high mountain regions of China, and lion’s mane, used in both food and medicine throughout Asia. The National Library of Medicine recognizes health benefits of mushrooms to help support diverse bacteria in the gut microbiome. They might also boost mental clarity and alertness, among other benefits.
LoRo Coffee is one of two Oregonian cafes where you can buy Good Day Lattes over the counter (you can also get the mix to go). It tastes similar to a chai latte, but with a more earthy, bitter-forward note from the turmeric. The brothy, almost savory flavor was quite nice, and I could taste the ginger and maca root through the subtle sweetness of maple sugar and vanilla bean. The bitter zing can be a lot if you’re used to something sweeter, but turmeric lattes like Good Day’s are perfect for anyone who’s not a complete sugar bug. Skip the espresso shot to taste the true flavors and to test the natural energizing qualities on their own.
TASTE IT: LoRo Coffee, 4815 SW Lombard Ave., Unit C, Beaverton, 503-746-4727, lorocoffee.com. 7:30 am–2:30 pm Monday–Friday, 8:30 am–3:30 pm Saturday–Sunday.