We Tried Danzeisen Dairy's New Cold Brew Coffee Milk

The Guilty Pleasure: Cold Brew Coffee Milk
Where to Get It: Currently available at various grocery stores around metro Phoenix, and the Danzeisen Dairy creamery store in Laveen. 
Price: $3.99 for a half-gallon, plus $2 deposit 
What it Really Costs: Some serious stomach bloat, if you're lactose-intolerant. 

Over the past couple of years, Danzeisen Dairy has been elevating the dairy game in metro Phoenix, and earning a devoted following of local milk lovers along the way.

Although this local, family-owned dairy and creamery has been active in the southwest Valley for something like 50 years, it really started making a name for itself around the end of 2014. That's when the Danzeisen family transitioned from selling milk to distributors, to bottling and selling their own milk to local consumers under the family name. 

In a competitive milk market, where soy- and almond-based products have claimed a lot of the dairy case real estate, Danzeisen stands out from the crowd by bottling their milks in sturdy, old-fashioned milk bottles. The glass is more eco-friendly, and the nicely-designed, retro bottles make a half-gallon of milk look as sexy as milk is ever going to look. There is a $2 deposit added to the price, though, which is refundable upon bottle return. 

Danzeisen has also made a name for itself with Phoenix milk-lovers with its creative offerings of flavored milks. There are traditional blends like chocolate and strawberry, but also more unusual flavors like the Arizona Orange. The milk's creamy orange hue stands out in any dairy case, and it tastes as if you're drinking a melted Creamsicle straight out of the glass. There is also a Root Beer milk, which tastes, well, pretty much like a melted root beer float. 

Clearly, the milk flavoring engineers over at Danzeisen are always dreaming up new flavors, because they just released their newest offering: cold brew coffee milk.

It only contains three ingredients — cold-brewed coffee, sugar, and Danzeisen's 2 percent milk — and it's very good. Smooth and bright, with a caramel-like sweetness, this milk is a very efficient and delicious caffeine-delivery system. Plus, there is something about drinking fresh milk out of a glass bottle that seems to make every drop taste better. 

If you ascribe to the morning philosophy of welcoming daylight with a triple shot of espresso, cold brew milk will probably seem like kid's stuff to you. But if you appreciate a sweet cup of coffee, deepened and mellowed by frothy, fresh milk, this is the cold brew for you. 

If you're in the neighborhood, it's worth stopping by the Danzeisen Dairy Store at 6024 West Southern Avenue in Laveen. Not only will you find all the latest Danzeisen flavors in the store's refrigerators, but also a revolving selection of ultra-fresh dairy treats like cheese curds and small tubs of flavored butter. The store usually carries other locally-made products, including pints of Scooptacular ice cream, Arizona honey, and fresh-baked pies. 

The Danzeisen cold brew milk is also currently available at various grocery stores around the Valley. You can check the Danzeisen website to see where it's currently stocked.