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Robert Downey Jr. hopes to put a pep in peoples’ steps, one “magical, consistent and legal” cup of joe at a time.
The Oscar-nominated Oppenheimer star has launched Happy Coffee, a new line of java co-founded with Craig Dubitsky, the entrepreneur and investor behind other fun-minded goods with a modern, sans-serif approach to design. (He’s behind Method cleaning products, Eos lip and skin-care, and Hello oral care.) The do-good brand launches today online and at Target and Sprouts grocery stores with 100 percent arabica coffee in light, medium and dark roasts.
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Pricing ranges from $9.99 for instant coffee and 10-pod packs to $12.99 for a 12-ounce box of ground or whole beans. Expect flavors such as Extraordinary Light coffee with hints of “toasted biscotti and levity,” Magificent medium roasts with notes of “berries and optimism,” and dark roasts that taste like “sweet molasses and bliss” or “cacao and cheer.”
Related: The Best Coffee Makers, Espresso Machines and More Home Barista Must-Haves
“Coffee is a perfect substance. It is magical, consistent and legal,” Downey tells The Hollywood Reporter in a statement. “It was my mom’s beverage of choice, and I followed in her footsteps. I associate coffee with family, fellowship, ‘going the extra mile and une raison d’être.”
Downey’s light-hearted nod to his past addictions to alcohol and illegal drugs follows the spirit of Happy Coffee. The actor has been open about his sobriety, and recently told Armchair Expert podcast co-host Dax Shepard that his one-year prison term in 1999 was “the worst thing that happened to me.”
In keeping with duo’s environmentalism (Downey Jr. recently released Cool Food: Erasing Your Carbon Footprint One Bite at a Time), Happy says its works with the world’s largest vertically integrated coffee roaster to produce its responsibly grown and sustainably sourced coffee. The roasters work with farmers in Central and South America, including Rainforest Alliance-certified farms. Each package features a lot code that can be entered on happyproducts.com to track who grew, harvested and roasted their beans.
The company also partners with the National Alliance on Mental Illness to aid advocacy, education, support and public awareness of people and families affected by mental health conditions.
The co-founders “are known for making people smile through brand, design, storytelling, entrepreneurship and entertainment experiences,” and the goal is to bring the same sunny, unpretentious identity to the coffee world, the company says. “Existing brands have focused on geography, energy or tradition, and newer brands seem to focus on esoteric niches. Coffee is supposed to simply be something delicious we love and enjoy.”
Shop Happy at happyproducts.com and in stores or via on-demand delivery at Target and Sprouts.
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