Goodbye to Postum

Taashi Rowe/ANN, "Goodbye to Postum" (Adventist News Network, January 17, 2008):

"Kraft Foods, the makers of coffee alternative Postum, recently announced they will no longer make the once popular beverage.

"The drink had a small but loyal following among some Seventh-day Adventists who believe that caffeine negatively affects health and some members of the Church of Latter day Saints who don't drink hot caffeinated beverages. Kraft Foods spokeswoman Laurie Guzzinati said the company stopped making Postum last fall because the demand for it was so low that manufacturing it no longer made sense.

"Postum was created in 1895 by C.W. Post who stumbled upon the recipe while he was a patient at Adventist-owned Battle Creek Sanitarium in Michigan, United States.

"Contrary to rumors, Post was not an Adventist, said James Nix, director of the estate for Ellen White, an Adventist Church co-founder."

"... Postum, which normally sold for US$3.50 per jar, can still be found on the online auction site Ebay where one seller is offering three jars for US$70."

Sorry to see it go. Yeah, yeah ... I know. If you're a coffee drinker, the stuff tastes like dirty dish water. But if you stop drinking coffee and become acclimated to it, it can be quite good. Despite the association with the fanatically anti-Catholic Seventh Day Adventists, I liked this stuff, which became a staple coffee alternative for me when I discovered that caffeine is a migraine trigger for me. What I wanted was a savory (non-sweet) roasted grain beveridge that didn't contain caffeine and was reasonably low in calories and carbs. Postum served well. I'll give Pero a try, but I'm skeptical. Any suggestions? [Yes, I do know something about the malted grain beveridge called 'beer'.]