I posted about my love for Pocket Coffee – real liquid espresso inside dark chocolate, and while it seems like this post is following soon on the heels of the other post, I had been sitting on that photo for more than a year (bad Sara). So, when I finally posted it, a chain of events occurred that can only be considered destiny:
My friend Nicole (her blog Zoomata has interesting and wacky Italian news) asked me if I had tried the summer version of Pocket Coffee. And not only that, but she had one in her possession to share with me.
Summer version of Pocket Coffee?? Yes, Pocket Coffee has a summer brother and thy name is Pocket Espresso to Go!
I pride myself as being a pretty curious person, especially when it comes to food – I often wander the aisles of local supermarkets when I travel, even within Italy, to see what regional and local differences there are in selection. So the fact that I hadn’t heard of or seen this summer version was indeed news to me.
I was then introduced to a friend working for Ferrero who agreed to bring me some of the Pocket Espresso to Go for my very own.
Yippee!
Pocket Espresso to Go has only been released in a few select markets throughout Italy (and only a few stores in those cities – I still haven’t seen it in Milan, but found it in Puglia) and only has an Italian product page for now. I found mention of them “in the wild” as early as last summer (including a post on the Food Section), but I’d never seen them before.
There’s a lot of potential in those little packages, especially when you realize they aren’t susceptible to the hot weather like the original Pocket Coffee. And I’m going to be giving some to you!! (Giveaway instructions below)
But first, let’s meet Pocket Espresso. These little containers are a liquid mix of the original Pocket Coffee : real espresso and dark chocolate. The flavor of Pocket Espresso isn’t a big surprise – it tastes like a melted Pocket Coffee, though some claim the chocolate flavor isn’t as strong.
It works for me.
Just like regular Pocket Coffee, each piece has 1/3 the caffeine of a regular cup of espresso. And, in case anyone was wondering, they are only 47 calories with 1 gram of fat! That’s a snack I could grow to love.
Perhaps the most genius part of Pocket Espresso is the packaging. They are made to look very similar to the original Pocket Coffee, but they are slightly larger.
Isn’t it cute?? Yes, that’s a little straw there. It’s cute. It makes me happy. I brought a box to work and we had a lot of fun sipping from our little straws while everyone else was drinking regular espresso around the coffee machine. There’s something about sipping from a tiny container with a little straw that ensures no one will keep a straight face. Try it in your next board room meeting, or instead of sipping water during a speech, or even better, next to your friends chugging back those gallon-size coffee drinks. Definitely a conversation starter.
You can drink them directly from the box, but I put a few in the fridge for when it’s really hot and I want something a little more refreshing – they are good!
My Ferrero contact wasn’t able to tell me when or how quickly they might be available in other countries outside of Italy (or throughout Italy, for that matter) but hopefully we can make some noise to encourage them to hurry up! I’m running out of my personal stash!
Pocket Espresso to Go Giveaway
I’m giving away two 3-packs of Pocket Espresso to Go. You get two chances to enter – and I’ll be picking one winner from each method of entering! I’ll accept entries until midnight, Pacific time (GMT -8) on Friday, June 12th.
- Comment here and tell me what your favorite summer drink is. What refreshing drink do you look forward to in hot weather?? (Note: I have comment moderation turned on due to high spam, so please don’t be alarmed if your comment doesn’t appear immediately)
- Tweet about the giveaway (I’m on Twitter: @rosso) and include two things in the Tweet: 1) the URL to this post and 2) my id @rosso – that’s also how I’ll keep track of who’s entering. If you prefer not to be creative on your own, you can Tweet this with the short URL (http://tr.im/nZG0) already provided : “Win some new Pocket Espresso to Go (summer Pocket Coffee) from @rosso http://tr.im/nZG0“
PS: Did you know Ms. Adventures in Italy has a Facebook Fan Page, too? Become a fan!
Disclosure: While I did receive a few packages of Pocket Espresso from my Ferrero contact, it was done as a personal favor through our mutual friend, and he did not ask me to write about Pocket Espresso or give them away. So I’m not! The packages I’m giving away are ones that I bought with my own money down in Puglia. Enjoy!
92 responses so far ↓
I don’t drink so much coffee during the summer, I prefer coke (my fave) and juices ;)
However I’m giving a try for the giveaway :P
Altho I’m a chocolate person, coffee is NOT one of my passions! I would LOVE to find these new treats for everyone else tho – what a great gift these would be for our friends we’ve introduced to Pocket Coffee!
I always have my coffee in the morning. In the summer I drink more iced tea than iced coffee, but summer is the only time I’ll drink iced coffee.
It never gets hot enough here for summer drinks, but coffee it is.. all day! I’d love to try these, and feel sorry for you giving away your personal stash!
First choice lemon pressé, second perhaps a delicate pineapple juice with coconut milk…then some more!
But I’d love to try those Pocket Espresso to Go and the originals…mail import is a little prohibitive.
My fav summer drink without a doubt would be Tropical Iceberg from’ Cafe Coffee Day’- It’s a very cold coffee served on the rocks! Yum!
I fell in love with Café Frappé in Greece. Although it has a French name, it’s iced coffee with strong, spray-dried instant coffee. It has been copied by many cultures, but it’s just not the same as in Greece :)
I’m an tea girl myself, iced during summer, but a little coffee shot can work wonders sometimes. This sounds like a brilliant idea!
In the summer I can’t drink enough centrifughe, fresh-squeezed juices. My favorite combination is apple, orange and fennel/carrot! With a cube of ice they are especially refreshing. I have seen these pocket espressos but have not tried them yet!
In the summer – a hot summer – I only dream ice tea. Or an espresso to go :-)
iced espresso in the morning (the only time of year it’s acceptable to pour it over ice). I also look forward to drinking Bug Juice (iced tea, a little lemon aid, and mint) on hot summer evenings.
While I drink it throughout the year, I find that my consumption of lemonade grows exponentially over the summer months. And, of course, I drink way more iced coffee than I would otherwise.
i love drinking iced caramel macchiatos in the summer time, or any flavored iced tea!
Best summer drink is half iced tea/half lemonade! Will also go for tonic and lime at times.
I’m a tea drinker in summer. I love an Arnold Palmer (tea and lemonade mixed 50/50). It’s my drink of choice almost all summer long.
oh WOW… that is so much fun.
my favorite summer drink is sweet tea. mmm. but iced coffee is a very very close second.
These look SO good..and interesting. I love the cute little straw too. I’m so curious though of how big they are (there’s no hand in the photo to judge by).
:( I’m not on twitter or I would tweet too.
I LOVE iced coffee in the summer. Espresso would be great too.
my favorite summer drink would have to be either strawberry lemonade (YUM!) or virgin pina colada….or iced vanilla latte….so many to choose from! but those pocket espresso’s look fantastic!
I’m not going to say how I feel about this, because you already know.
Okay, I will: It’s the best news I’ve heard all summer!
(And summer isn’t even here yet…)
Mojitos!
My favorite summer drink is iced coffee.
My favorite summer drink is a nice refreshing mojito! And iced coffee of course.
I love a nice iced toddy in the summer. Or a glass of rose’.
I absolutely adore a float of lemonade and either strawberry or raspberry sorbet. Super refreshing, cold, and very satisfying! For added fun, it looks really pretty!
I keep waiting for the hot weather to begin, but nothing but cold and rain here! But once it is warm I’ll be alternating between Ice espresso with a dollop of chocolate syrup (daytime) and a Burgundy Rose at night! Come on Summer!
My favorite summer bev is a WI only brew by New Glarus called Totally Naked. They are best known and loved for their Spotted Cow ale.
I have to say my favorite is the classic Japanese “Ramune” soda. It comes in a bottle with a marble as a top and is SO refreshing! It’s not quite the same as soda here in the US. It’s too bad street vendors don’t sell it like they used to in Japan.
Ferrero brings back so many good memories of living in Europe! This pocket espresso sounds amaaaaazing.
I love a good homemade Greek-style frappe when hot weather hits!
I am absolutely fascinated by this product–what a unique idea!
My favorite summer drinks are ice-cold Coca Cola and iced coffee.
I can’t wait for summer and the frozen drinks that go with it! I love an iced passion fruit drink as well as iced coffee- more like a granita.
What a great giveaway! I first tried Pocket Coffee when I visited Italy two years ago, and I fell in love – this would be amazing!
My favorite summer drink is iced coffee – I usually start drinking it in March in hopes that it will bring warm weather sooner!
A mojito or a gin and tonic are absolutely heaven in the hot summer sun.
Alabama Slammers with fresh squeezed orange juice, sloe gin, southern comfort, and just a bit of vodka. Delicious
my fave summer drink is… Starbucks Doubleshot!!
i love iced coffee! but i also love iced tea! green and passion teas from tazo are my favorite!
my favorite summer drink would be fresh coconut juice… straight from the shell – sometimes, right from the tree itself! afterwhich… never forget to scrape off the meat inside!
there’s something to be said about living in a tropical country… despite the lack of pocket coffee, inexpensive cherries and plums…
Oh my, those look like so much fun! I only wish US companies were as clever as the Italians in their packaging. My favorite summer drinks are iced coffees in the afternoon, and some nice local beers – usually an IPA from Magic Hat or Smuttynose, but I’ll try anything that looks cool.
wow, what a cute idea! I am SO curious as to what these taste like. I had to laugh at the thought of being in a meeting and everyone sipping their pocket coffees through little straws!
My favorite summertime drink is an iced americano with a little cream :)
My favorite summer drink is either pink lemonade or iced tea, hot tea during the colder months. I’d like to try the espresso or give as a gift to one of my cousins or friends.
My favourite summer drink is also a very simple one. My parents emigrated to England from India and with them they bought some traditions and recipes.
One of my favourites is lassi – a simple drink based on natural yoghurt.
At it’s most basic it’s simply a blend of natural yoghurt, a little water to thin it down and either salt or sugar according to your preference.
Some like to add fruit, making it more of a smoothie, but I’m a purist and prefer mine plain.
It’s so refreshing, especially when served ice cold and is a wonderful foil to so many spicy foods, not just Indian.
Vanilla/orange creamsicles! Sure, lots of people like the frozen treat on a stick but I looove having a glass with cold orange soda and 1-2 [or more, ha] scoops of good vanilla ice cream in it and sipping it up with a straw. Makes me feel like a kid again and it’s yummy!
I am an ESPRESSO addict! I drink even right before bed – no problems sleeping – and in summer it is delightfully refresshing over ice!
You have been tweeted!
Bonnie(valentinoswife)
My husband would so love to have espressos to go! Some of my favorite summer drinks are iced coffee – lots of ice and a bit of milk – iced Earl Grey tea, and, of course, sangria. Grazie bella.
I love iced tea! Making your own in the sun is the best. What a fun giveaway!
Usually it’s iced tea with lemon – but this year it’s iced tea with my first batch of home-made limoncello. So good!
Just bought some Pocket Coffee’s at the local Italian store. Hope to see Pocket Espresso’s there in the not too distant future!
woww what a cool product! Im currently loving the starbucks doubleshot espresso drinks, but I can see myself moving on to these when they become available here.
My favorite summer drink is a mango shake. Nothing really hits the spot like cold mango
Those are so freakin’ adorable I can’t stand it!
Are they really only available in the summer?
Just bought tickets to Rome for October and I’ll have to look when I’m there.
Are you familiar with Pinwheel cookies? Those are only available in the US in the winter because their chocolate coating would melt.
Oh yeah, my favorite summer drink in home made lemonade from the lemons on my Meyer Lemon tree.
That has to be the cutest packaging ever!! I love my long island iced teas but for some reason it hasn’t been that hot –or even sunny enough –for me to enjoy a few!!
Ooooh, never heard of this! Top five faves are:
1. Passionfruit Agua Fresca with lime& pineapple sage
2. Fresh Thai Lemon& Ginger Iced Tea with ginger mint
3. Lychee Lemonade
4. Peach Iced Tea with peach nectar, fresh raspberries and sliced peaches & lemon basil
5. Cucumber, Watermelon&Lime Cool H2o
a super cold white beer with a slice of lemon
In Italy, it would be peach juice or a granita. In the US iced tea or lemonade.
Cute summer pocket coffee boxes. I can just picture everyone in an important meeting sipping on these :)
my drink is a frozen banana-pineapple espress0 :)
and the pockets r amazing… my parents are obliged to bring me packets of pockets ;) every summer… Italy is their favorite resort.
Thanks for offering this great give-away!
Last summer I lived on iced French pink lemonade from Fresh and Easy or blood orange Italian soda from Trader Joe’s. I don’t know what I’ll do this summer in Switzerland – perhaps Chinotto…
Ice tea with lemon granita from Pupetto beach Bar at Positano. Preferably just before tackling the stairs up to the house !
I’m torn between lemonade and iced mocha. Depends if I need that caffeine hit!
my drink is a frozen banana-pineapple espress0 :)
and the pockets r amazing… my parents are obliged to bring me packets of pockets ;) every summer… Italy is their favorite resort.
(Sorry for the double post, but i used the wrong twitter username before ;(
I love a cold, refreshing bottle of Brasilena (bibita al caffè) during the hot summer. (And I can actually have it here in Boston!) :) Hence my desire to win this pocket espresso!!
My favorite summer drink is jamaica agua fresca
I love iced espresso drinks and mojitos for those hot summer days!
Nothing ever beats a cold glass of presecco with white peach puree (from white peaches you have just picked moments before)…heaven in a glass…
Dude, check out your comments. Love it. I think you set one of these aside for me, didn’t you???
My summer drink is OUZO with a couple icecubes and a bit of water…. ahhhh… GREECE!! Will be so missing Patmos this year.
ooh, chocolate espresso…yea!
Favorite summer drink would have to be fresh lemonade with a little mint from the garden. So easy to make and so refreshing (also great w/a splash of coconut rum)!
Anything cool and refreshing, soda, slushy, iced coffee, just as long as its cold to beat the summer heat.
My favorite drink in the Summer has to be sangria – white or red, with oranges and lemons or peaches and grapes, I like all kinds.
To pick a non-alcholic drink, I would have to say its a mix of my own: half Cranberry juice, half orange juice, and a splash of soda water or sprite.
I love agua de fresa (strawberry) in the summer – it is so refreshing on a hot day, and super easy to make. I used to live in the San Francisco area and I also loved a slushie coffee drink called Teapuccino from L Amyx which was a frozen blended mix that includes black tea and espresso, and I think also ice cream.
I just got back from Italy. I was sad that I was not going to get a chance to try Pocket Coffee after I read about it on your site, but then I saw this Pocket Espresso to go. I mistakenly thought it must be widely available so I bought one package and then had a hard time finding more later. It was the most elusive thing, and so magically delicious! Thanks for the chance to possibly score more! Whoever wins is in for a treat.
MMMm I love these. I think I have pocket coffee to thank for surviving my baby’s first 5 months…
Ciao from Roma
Hands down fav is pseudo-hubs’ Mohitos! The best!!
my “go-to” drink for summertime seems to be, inevitable with three kids, I suppose, but it is Kool-Aid.
especially the blue flavors.
Wow, stiff competition for these little guys…guess I’ll have to tweet about it too so I can up my chances ;)
Duh, forgot to mention that iced coffee (with milk and lots of ice cubes) is my favorite summer drink…what a shock, eh?
My most favorite drink as a child growing up in Italy- Calabria, was Latte di Mandorla or Orzata mixed with very cold iced water. Would enjoy it now, but cannot always find it in the US. YUM>>
Hi Sara!
First let me tell you, I’m SOOOO happy to finally being able to read your blog (I’m not longer in Shanghai). I will become a regular :-)
Now, my drink choices (this is so difficult, I have so many!!).
1. homemade*frappe* coffee, my recipe: 1 shoot of double esspreso, 1 teaspoon of sugar, lots of ice and 1/2 cup of skimmed milk. All mix on the blender, it works wonders to cool yourself on those hot days.
2. Mexican aguas frescas: horchata (rice) jamaica (hibiscus flower) tamarind, lemon&chia and tepache (pinneaple)
3. alcoholic choices: an icy cold corona beer (works best next to the beach!) but a mojito or caipirhina works as well.
Those sound fantastic!!! My favorite summer drink is cold Woodchuck cider or limoncello coolers!
Hi, nice candy!! Love to drink beer in the summer! Hahaha,well I’m not a drunk but the warm weather just makes feel like, I’m in a beach and that I need a beer! Thanks for sharing…Gina F
Hi, nice candy!! Love to drink Lemonades! Gina f
Oooh, there are so many drinks I love, despite the fact the sun is somewhat limited in England… If I’m being healthy then it’s chilled mugicha (barley tea) but if not; a nice tall glass of Sangria. Cheap red wine, lemonade, a little vodka, and a ton of fruit. Refreshing, good for social occasions and full of summer flavour. :)
LOVE an coffee in the summer time made Americano style with a squeeze of top quality chocolate syrup (monin is wonderful!) topped with a splooge of whipped cream.. the real stuff! If you’re gonna have something good, have it real good, least I always say…
Iced! I left out the word ICED! I love an ICED coffee in the summer…. sorry bout that.. where is the edit button?
I love drinking the water out of a chilled young coconut, so refreshing and subtly sweet. :)
I guess I’m too late for the giveaway. Congrats to the lucky winner. I LOVE pocket coffee. Lucky for you in Italy that they now sell it in the summer. I never understood why it wasn’t since I drink hot espresso all year round.-
In the summer I’ve taken to drinking ice tea – homemade cuz the mixes are filled with chemical I can’t even pronounce-let alone want to consume.
I only wish (fortamente) it was sold in the US. Ferrero Rocher is in NJ (like me) but they don’t sell Pocket Cffee. I don’t know why.
I just bought some of this during my visit to italy last week. Was trying to use up some coins at the airport, they are delicious. These are now my new favorite drink. I only wish i had a lot of them.
Is there somewhere to order these online?
Ah, Canada! You have to come here, girls, and try Timmy’s fantastic Iced Capp (Iced Cappuccino). “Timmy’s” is our nickname for Tim Horton’s, the national equivalent (but better) of Starbuck’s. This is my favourite cool treat that we may choose to be made with real cream, chocolate, or 2% milk. Then we get to add a flavour: French Vanilla, Butter Caramel, Hazel Nut or Mint. Great stuff on a hot July day! (But now you have me terribly curious about Pocket Coffees and Pocket Espressos.)
As much as I love coffee drinks year round, my favorite summer drink is the Arnold Palmer, half iced tea and half lemonade. While there is very little that could improve this great refreshing drink, I have found that a nice unsweetened black iced tea paired with a bubbly limonata drink is just the best. Wow, just talking about it makes me want to go mix one up. I am tickled to hear about the Pocket Espresso to go. Thanks for sharing here and sharing with some lucky people. I fell in love with Pocket Coffee a few years ago during a visit to Italy. And make unsuspecting friends buy me a bunch of these when in Italy. Sadly they all seem to fall in love with them too, so there is always less for me.
I bought these in a Carrefour in Sicily and they are to die for. I so hope they are sold in the UK.
I love these, also bought them in Puglia last week; would love to find them in the UK
I just got back from a trip to Italy and grabbed some while in Rome. I didn’t realize they were relatively new. After enjoying them in Rome, I bought a few packs to bring home. YUM!
hi! i am having a bridal shower and my theme is espresso. i saw these and was wondering where i can buy them? my cousin brought some from Italy but i would like to buy a bulk of them. can anyone help me? i live in California any websites i can get them from?
My husband just told me about these. He was in the break room and a coworker had one. Said he got them in Italy. I’ve had the self heating to go coffees where activate the can and its hot in about 5mins or so but this sounds great I cant wait to have some !!!!!!!!!
I have tried both the products, and I simply cannot find the little Espresso to Go anywhere in the states. I had some in Barcelona, Spain in August…have you any information currently on the espresso to go? I just received a shipment of the coffee candy, but it’s not as much fun as the tiny straws. JG
Huge fan of these. I found your site trying to determine the caffeine content of these little boxes. I went to Italy for the entire month of Oct 09 and without these I would not have been able to drive the family all over the countryside after losing sleep in ice cold rooms. Hotels run on heating oil and first week they had a cold snap. NO HEAT for several days. Cheers.
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