My Grandpa Put This Charming Ingredient in His Coffee Every Morning—Now I Do, Too

The Silent Generation can throw down on some caffeine. Truly, these nonagenarians and octogenarians are hardcore. I have no idea how my grandparents consumed so much coffee daily—as in: All day. Their house always smelled like fresh-brewed coffee, and there was a reverence for keeping the pot full, like tending a mythical fire.

And for all that coffee consumption, there was nary a creamer in sight. No milk. No half-and-half. And absolutely no sugar, save for a tray of Sweet’N Low packets that had probably been there since 1968. My grandparents drank straight black coffee—except for one extra ingredient that my grandfather added to each cup.

It’s slightly unconventional, yet based on the flavor, it makes total sense. And when you buy it in bulk, it’s a genius, low-budget coffee hack. Basically, my grandfather was OG #CoffeeTok.

My Grandfather’s Swiss Miss Coffee

I’m sure part of my DNA is just Folgers grounds. I love coffee, too, though I prefer espresso to drip.

But as a travel journalist, I don’t always have access to an espresso machine. From camping to remote lodging to cruise ships, I’m usually faced with sad, bland drip coffee, which is why I always keep a couple of packets of Swiss Miss in my bag. (And I stock up anytime the big box is on sale at Costco.)

My grandfather added half a packet of Swiss Miss Milk Chocolate to his coffee instead of cream, sugar, or any other accouterment. According to Reddit, it’s the “poor man’s mocha.”

This recipe is as utilitarian as it gets: A combination of Folgers Classic Roast coffee and instant cocoa powder that, when tested by Allrecipes writer Sara Haas, noted, “nothing stood out about it.”

Swiss Miss is always around—at holiday tree lightings, budget hotel breakfast bars, etc.—but it doesn’t have the razzle dazzle of other store-bought hot chocolate. It’s a slow-and-steady brand. And at nearly 75 years old, the original Swiss Miss is largely unchanged. Invented in the late 1950s by Charles Sanna of Sanna Dairies, Swiss Miss is the result of getting creative with your leftovers.

According to Swiss Miss, which is now owned by Conagra, Sanna had a surplus of dairy creamer following the Korean War, so he tinkered with a recipe by adding sugar and chocolate to create a hot cocoa mix. It was originally sold to commercial airlines, and then in the early 1960s, Sanna Dairies worked on the recipe again for grocery stores. The creamer powder was replaced with non-fat milk powder, which was less expensive and had a longer shelf life. And Swiss Miss is largely credited as the first instant hot cocoa brand that didn’t need milk—just water.

The 3-in-1 powder (chocolate, sugar, and milk) still creates a creamy hot chocolate—if you double up on packets like I do. And these days, Swiss Miss has tons of over-the-top variations, from the Indulgent Collection with a salted caramel flavor to Lucky Charms marshmallows.

But for a simple cup of coffee, half a packet of the original, like my grandfather used to use, is all you need.