CBD Coffee Is Brewing Differently on McDowell Road

Now serving the world's safest speedball.

April 19, 2021

CBD Coffee's fuzzy peach tea with raspberry (left) and the popular toasted marshmallow coffee. Courtesy of CBD Coffee

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CBD enthusiasts tend to speak of the medical benefits of cannabidiol. Tyler Walker, the founder of Coffee Brewed Differently, has taken that notion a step further, intentionally opening his CBD coffee shop across from the Banner hospital on McDowell as a way of attracting health-minded customers.

“We have quite a few hospital patients and nurses as well as people who’re visiting the hospital,” says manager Sarah Schlemlein. “One lady who comes by has chemo once a week. She says she’s never felt sick since she’s started coming here.”

The location — a former Jack in the Box — opened for business in February. Schlemlein reports they're seeing approximately 150 customers per day. Not bad for two months.

The coffees aren't pre-infused with CBD. Rather, you can add a 15 mg packet of water-soluble CBD to any coffee order. (It's an extra $2, though Schlemlein says that "grand opening" price will be hiked up to $3 or $4 after April 20.) This allows customers to control their CBD intake. It also, Schlemlein says, gets the stuff into your system faster.

“With most CBD products that you get at dispensaries, you’re only getting 30-60 percent of it absorbed into your body,” said Schlemlein. “With this [water-soluble CBD], you’re absorbing 91 percent of what’s in this packet.”

Coffeewise, Coffee Brewed Differently offers the popular “Aston Martin,” (white chocolate/ toffee crunch latte) and other coffees named after cars like El Camino (Americano) and the Tesla (Chai tea latte). The shop also sells smoothies, energy drinks called supernovas in which you can add any flavor, and cold brew coffee (like the popular macadamia nut). You can add CBD into any of them. You can also buy CBD-infused coffee Keurig cases for $4.

And more are on the way.

“We’re trying for four other stores by the end of the year,” said Schlemlein, noting upcoming locations in Scottsdale, Tempe, Surprise, and Prescott.

Coffee Brewed Differently
1302 E. McDowell Road Hours: Monday–Sunday, 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Instagram: @cbdcoffeemcdowell

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