Coffee & Whiskey

Feeling a little lukewarm about your beverages lately?

Shake things up with two new products that you can drop into your drink for a perfectly pleasing temperature.

But it's important to know which way on the thermometer you want to go, as this pair of smart design innovations can keep your thirst quenched from morning to night.

Coffee Joulies

Design engineers Dave & Dave cleverly named these oversized metallic coffee beans after a unit of work or energy, a Joule, a concept at the heart of Joulies' design.

Joulies serve a dual purpose by first absorbing the heat from your cup of joe to cool it down to drinking temperature three times faster than usual. Second, Joulies release the heat slowly back into your beverage to keep your coffee or tea comfortably warm for a few hours.

Constructed from the highest grade stainless steel on the outside and a proprietary food safe substance on the inside, Joulies seem to work best in a travel mug and can be popped into the dishwasher or simply rinsed off after use.

If the overwhelming response on fundraising site Kickstarter is any indication, (they raised over $305,000 for their $9,500 goal) Joulies could be the next big thing to hit the coffee market.

Whisky Stones

Taken from an old Scandinavian tradition, these polished stones trump your average ice cube by chilling your favourite spirit without diluting its flavour. Non-porous and reusable for a lifetime, the stones look sophisticated and come from the oldest soapstone workshop in the US.

Available at Chapters or La Merceria, it's also my go to gift for guys who have outgrown comic books (what? never!) and enjoy the occasional drink or two.

What do you think? Would you give Coffee Joulies or Whisky Stones a try? :)

Images 1, 2: Dave & Dave via Kickstarter and 3, 4: Teroforma