Astro Alvarez believes coffee should be high quality, affordable, accessible and full of flavor.
That’s what he brings to the table with his new Phoenix-based cold brew delivery service, Mad Flavors.
Alvarez has been in the coffee industry for a decade. “I’ve pretty much done it all, from delivery to processing orders, filling orders for a wholesale roastery to learning how to roast,” he says. “For the last few years, I’ve been flirting with the idea of branching off and starting my own brand.”
Mad Flavors makes high-intensity, unsweetened cold brew in a variety of innovative flavors that are vegan, gluten-free and sugar-free. Alvarez launched the company with four flavors: Costa Rican, horchata, strawberry mocha and peanut butter and jelly. He also offers more than 15 different single origin whole coffee beans available in 12-oz. bags. The best part? Mad Flavors offers free contactless delivery throughout the Phoenix metro area.
“Everyone’s working from home now, kids aren’t going to school and everyone’s having their Zoom meetings,” Alvarez says. “Why not provide a service where you get a good quality cup of coffee or cold brew just like if you were going to your local coffee shop with the convenience of it being delivered to your door?”
Mad Flavors blossomed out of Alvarez’s fatigue of seeing the same flavors over and over again. “When it comes to cold brew, it’s boring,” he says. “It’s your hazelnuts, your caramel, not that there’s anything wrong with it because they are good. I just feel that it was time to do something new and a little bit more bold and out there.”
Alvarez also wanted to appeal to people who may not be big fans of cold brew due to its lack of flavor and bitter taste.
“I wanted to bring in other people that aren’t exactly coffee folks,” he says. “I wanted to include everyone.”
He plans to come out with new flavors regularly. Stay tuned for a new line for the holidays and summer-centric flavors for next June, he says.
“I really believe in this product,” he says. It was just an easy decision for me to take this coffee that I know and love, put my own twist on it and put it out there for everyone to experience.”
