EPIC: Pasture-raised goodness

By Marla Milling Published January 18, 2016

epic pasture raised goodness — Image used with permission by copyright holder

You might think the owners of a company selling grass-fed meats would have been the least likely people on the planet to start such an endeavor. That’s because before Taylor Collins and Katie Forrest developed Epic they were both vegans. “We are both competitive athletes,” said Collins, “but our bodies weren’t recovering. We weren’t getting the vitamins and proteins we needed. When we introduced grass fed meats into our diet, it was a game changer. We felt great in a couple of days.”

EPIC_BisonBaconCranberry_300dpi copy They created a protein bar out of grass fed meats to fit their own nutritional needs, but decided to put it into production when they received a lot of positive feedback. “The first year and a half, we only had four bars,” said Collins. “We’ve now expanded to 36 products including a jerky like product and trail mix, but our bars are still the most popular. The Bison Bacon Cranberry is our number one best seller. It’s ridiculously delicious.”

Recommended Videos

Other bar flavors include Bacon, Chicken Sesame BBQ, Beef Apple Bacon, Turkey Almond Cranberry, Beef Habanero Cherry, Chicken Sriracha, Pulled Pork Pineapple, and Lamb Current Mint. A sample pack of all nine flavors retails for $26.

The company has just unveiled its newest products: animal oils. They come in three varieties: Grass Fed Beef Tallow, Berkshire Pork Lard, and Cage-Free Duck Fat. Single jars retail for $8.99.

The next big thing for Epic is a major purchase. “We’re starting a ranch right outside Austin, Texas where we’ll raise the animals we use in our product,” said Collins. “Bisons, chickens, sheep, and cows will all be in the same pasture; all complementing each other. Nature loves biodiversity.”

Epic products are available on their website, but they are also offered for sale nationally through Whole Foods, Vitamin Shoppe, and outdoor retailers like REI. “Pretty much any natural food grocery store you go into will have our products,” he said.

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Marla Hardee Milling is a full-time freelance writer living in a place often called the Paris of the South, Sante Fe of the…

Food & Drink

Gather (most of) a pour-over coffee system for $116 at Amazon

The Hario V60 Ceramic Coffee Dripper on a white background.

Have you been looking for coffee maker deals and thinking you’d prefer to create your own full pour-over system? Right now, Amazon has the deals for you, with great discounts on a coffee dripper and an electric gooseneck kettle. We’ll take a look at how each works separately, but you can combine them to make most of a full pour-over system. All you need to do is add some filters and you can start making some great blends, like the Cafe Grumpy festive coffee that’s available right now. If you still need to learn what pour-over coffee is, we can help you with that too. Here’s a look at the deals involved.
Hario V60 Ceramic Coffee Dripper -- $27 $30 12% off

If you’re learning all about how to make pour over coffee, you know how vital a coffee dripper is. The Hario V60 Ceramic Coffee Dripper is specially designed to produce an evenly brewed cup of coffee. It’s made from durable Japanese ceramic so it retains heat to ensure a balanced temperature throughout the brewing cycle. It has a minimalist look with a single large hole, which improves pour flow and provides you plenty of choice: Pour quickly for a light flavor or more slowly for a rich and deep taste. If you’ve been studying the differences between pour over and drip coffee, you’ll soon see what a world of difference a good coffee dripper makes.

Food & Drink

Can you make great coffee in a single serve? Klatch Coffee’s answer

Is there a better option than K-Cups?

Crazy Goat coffee

While K-Cups can be appealing to coffee drinkers who value convenience at home or in the office, they're not the right choice for everyone. Although it's a fast and easy way to prepare a single cup of coffee, there are a few downsides to the system — namely that K-cup pods can be difficult to recycle (and while refillable pods exist, that depends on the user choosing that option, which isn't always a given considering quick and convenient are two of the main appeals of the system). We interviewed Klatch Coffee's expert roaster, Heather Perry, to learn more about the specialty roaster's approach to single-serve coffee.
Klatch Coffee's single-serve coffee alternatives

Klatch Coffee's single-serving Bruvi pods make it easy to enjoy high-quality, specialty coffee wherever you are. The brand has partnered with a few select providers who share their vision, one of which is Bruvi.
"Bruvi is an improved pod coffee system with a couple of unique features," Perry said. "First is taste and quality; the proprietary brewing system brews to the same high standards as specialty coffee roasters like Klatch Coffee, including adjusting the brewing parameters to match our brewing recipe. That’s why premium coffee from roasters like Klatch is offered on the Bruvi platform. Second, Bruvi’s B-Pods are enzyme-infused and designed to be tossed in the trash, making them guilt-free. B-Pods degrade faster in the landfill without leaving microplastics behind."
It’s also worth noting that for coffee drinkers who only want a single cup at a time, single-serve brewing can be more efficient on resources like water, coffee, and energy. Pre-portioned coffee doesn’t spill, and machines only heat the water needed for a single cup. There’s no waste from discarding leftover coffee from a large pot.

Food & Drink

Canadian whisky deserves a spot in your home bar (and these are our favorites)

Canada is home to countless, memorable whiskies

A bottle of whiskey with two glasses of whiskey

If you're a fan of whiskey and you haven't branched out into Canadian whisky (unlike the US, Ireland, and Mexico, Canada omits the 'e' in whiskey), you're missing out on some special expressions. Whether you enjoy blended whisky, spicy rye, or other types of whisky, Canada has something for every palate.

Sure, Crown Royal and Canadian Club might be the most well-known names, but many more noteworthy whiskies from our friendly neighbors to the north are absolutely worth adding to your home bar cart.
Our favorite Canadian whiskies