The #1 Drink to Buy at Costco, According to a Food Editor

I grew up in suburban Long Island, and one of my favorite pastimes still is strolling every aisle of my local Costco (which my family would often do on Saturday afternoons after a day of shopping at the mall across the street). It seemed like there was always a new snack or drink to discover, and samples to try before committing to buying a big box of whatever they were selling. These days, one of my favorite finds to buy at Costco is La Colombe Draft Latte Cold Brew Coffee—a canned coffee drink that's head and shoulders above any other store-bought coffee I've tried.

My love affair with La Colombe canned lattes began in Las Vegas, of all places. I was there for a work trip, and I found some La Colombe lattes and fresh-baked cream-filled doughnuts waiting for me in my hotel room. The doughnuts were incredible, but it was the canned lattes that truly impressed me. I'd had canned coffee drinks in the past, but this was the first one I'd tasted that actually reminded me of an iced latte from a coffee shop.

As far as nutrition goes, these canned lattes have around 100 calories (110 for Mocha, my favorite flavor) and 4 to 6 grams of added sugar per 9-ounce can. Compare that to a Grande (16-ounce) Starbucks Mocha, which has 370 calories and 35 grams of added sugar, and the La Colombe coffee drinks are a relatively healthy choice. These canned lattes are also gluten-free and made with lactose-free milk. I'm lactose-sensitive (and always have lactase pills in my purse), and these don't bother my stomach.

These canned La Colombe lattes cost around $3 depending on where you buy them, and Costco sells them in a variety pack of three flavors (12 cans total) for $21.99 ($1.83 per can). The variety pack includes Mocha, Vanilla and Triple Shot. The same variety pack costs $34 on the La Colombe website ($2.83 per can), though sometimes I purchase directly from them when they're having a promo deal, as some limited-edition flavors (like pumpkin spice and my all-time fave, peppermint mocha) are harder to find in stores. If you prefer a dairy-free coffee drink, La Colombe makes oat-milk versions of their latte flavors as well.

La Colombe lattes are a work-from-home staple for me, so I make sure to keep my fridge stocked with them. At around $3, they're cheaper than a latte I'd buy from a coffee shop, and I get the best deal at Costco for under $2 a can. Plus, with only about one-third the calories and a lot less added sugar, they're a healthier option than the sugary coffees I like to enjoy on occasion. If I'm feeling extra fancy and want to emulate that coffee shop experience, I'll pour a La Colombe latte over some ice and sip it from a glass tumbler, but it's also delicious straight out of the can.

Read more: If you want to make your own coffee drink at home, try our recipes for cold brew and whipped pumpkin spice.