NITRO Hits the Hudson Valley Streets
The City of Poughkeepsie has seen a major increase in highly energetic people in the business district and the source has been identified. Ori Brachfeld, owner of The Ugly Mug on Market Street is the man responsible for delivering high dosage caffeine to the area with the street name of Nitro.
Unveiled at the ribbon cutting for the coffee shop on April 7th, Brachfeld provided details of what makes this "cold brew" so special. Hot coffee tends to lose some caffeine as the hot water hits the coffee grinds. To avoid the loss, 6 pounds of Yrgacheffe coffee beans from Ethiopia are immersed in 5 gallons of ice cold water where they will steep for twenty hours. The concoction is then transferred to a keg...yes, a keg. This is where the mixture is charged with nitrogen gas.
The cold brew is then dispensed from a tap handle and closely resembles Guinness as it pours. Customers are claiming that the nitrogen helps introduce the caffeine into their bloodstream much more quickly than traditional coffee.
The ribbon cutting ceremony was attended by several members of the Greater Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce, state Sen. Sue Serino and Mayor Rob Rolison. Rolison expressed his thanks to Brachfeld for investing in Poughkeepsie and credited the shopkeeper with helping to "Bring the Buzz" back to Poughkeepsie.