Love at First Bite is now serving made-to-order CRIO BRÜ. Don't know about this exciting new drink? Read the FAQs below originally posted here.

WHAT IS CRIO BRÜ?

Crio Brü is brewed drink made from 100% cacao beans (also known as cocoa beans), roasted to perfection. Named after the most prized of cacao beans, the Criollo, Crio Brü will astound your taste buds with its complex chocolaty flavors and subtle aromas which come right from the cacao bean itself! It is 100% natural and 100% pure.

Crio Brü is the ultimate superfood. It is low in calories and contains no sugar, no fat, no dairy, no sodium, no cholesterol and practically no caffeine, yet is extremely high in antioxidants, theobromine and a host of other vitamins and minerals.

Crio Brü is both a new drink and an ancient one. Ka'kao was an everyday drink of the kings and peoples of the great Incas, Mayans, Olmecs and Aztecs for hundreds of years, but was changed when the Old World met the New. The incredible health properties of cacao are currently lost in the process of making modern chocolate, but with Crio Brü, they are preserved.

IS CRIO BRÜ MORE LIKE COFFEE OR TEA?

Crio Brü is more similar to coffee in consistency than tea. However if made too thin, it could take on a tea-like appearance and flavor. We recommend brewing it for a more robust flavor. To learn more, see our How to Brü page.

WHAT ARE THE INGREDIENTS IN CRIO BRÜ?

Crio Brü is 100% pure cacao.

DOES CRIO BRÜ HAVE CARBS?

Crio Brü only has 1.5 grams of carbs per serving, and none of it from sugar. You can learn more about the nutritional contents and benefits of Crio Brü  on the Brü Benefits page.

WILL CRIO BRÜ HAVE AN EFFECT ON MY CALCIUM LIKE COFFEE DOES?

Yes and no. Cacao contains a natural compound called oxalate, which can inhibit the absorption of calcium in bones. However, cacao also contains large amounts of magnesium, which facilitates absorption of calcium in bones, potentially offsetting any calcium loss.

DOES CRIO BRÜ CONTAIN CAFFEINE?

Depending on the type of cacao bean it is made from, it either contains little to no caffeine or trace amounts. The misconception that chocolate (cacao) contains caffeine is is based primarily on confusion between two similar alkaloids: caffeine and theobromine. The two stimulants are related and have similar chemical structures, but possess very different properties, effects and origins.

A study completed in 1993 (The Biochemist, April/May, 1993, pg. 15), definitively showed that chocolate contained 1.3% theobromine, by weight, up to 5.82% serotonin (an organic compound that enhances mood and energy, provides better mental focus, improved sleep patterns, less anxiety and decreases body fat), by weight, and no detectable caffeine.

Theobromine clearly has stimulant properties, so perhaps people reflexively attribute those effects to caffeine—even though many of the effects are fundamentally different from caffeine. Perhaps when referring to caffeine, they intend to reference an entire class of chemicals called xanthines, of which caffeine is but one example.

The amount of xanthines present in cacao is highly dependent on the variety of cacao bean that is used. There are three main varieties of cacao: criollo, trinatario and forastero. Criollo beans account for 1-2% of the world’s cacao, trinatario beans for around 10-20% and the rest are forastero. Criollo beans have the highest amount of theobromine but also contain trace amounts of caffeine whereas trinatario and forastero, typically, have little to no caffeine.

Theobromine and caffeine are similarly constructed types of pharmacologically active chemicals but with noticeably different effects. Theobromine is gentle, mild, has a slow onset, is long lasting and non-addictive whereas caffeine is intense, strong, fast acting, short lived and  addictive.

Crio Brü is 100%  pure cacao. A typical sample of cacao beans will yield anywhere from zero caffeine to 1,000 parts per million of caffeine (less than 1/20^th of the caffeine present in coffee). Crio Brü provides long lasting energy and promotes whole body wellness without the negative effects found in other drinks.