This isn’t your after dinner coffee drink with a shot of brandy in it. No, this is alcohol that’s actually made from the coffee bean…as in I’m-too-young-to-die-but-if-this-is-heaven-I-guess-I’m-ready.

Perhaps it’s the fact that I haven’t had coffee or alcohol in the last 8.5 months (you’re welcome, unborn daughter), or maybe, this is just a really, really cool idea that’s making my mouth water. Either way, scientists have indeed discovered a way of using the coffee bean to create an alcoholic beverage.

According to Science, researchers collected dried coffee grounds, performed some super sciency-alchemy on them and let it all ferment for a while. The result? “Used coffee grounds produced a new alcoholic beverage with 40% ethanol, comparable to other hard liquor such as vodka and tequila.”

Eight “trained testers” sampled and rated the product, saying that it smelled like coffee with a bitter and pungent flavor. “Researchers noted that the taste could be improved with age and concluded that the quality was good enough for consumption.”

What’s also cool about this is the potential for coffee grounds to find a new use besides compost (although that’s a step up from the landfill).

While the brew is made from the coffee bean, the caffeine is essentially absent from the alcohol. And as for the recently discovered health benefits of coffee? (Yes, I said health benefits of coffee.) They’re not likely there any more either. Still, it’s kind of a perfect cycle: Drink enough of the coffee alcohol, and the next morning you’ll certainly need a good strong cuppa guaranteed to give you the jolt and benefits only the coffee bean can offer.

Keep in touch with Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

Image: Samantha Celera

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