Hot, Not Boiling: How to Make Mavi (and Protect the Colostrum)

3 min read

Close-up of a frothy cup of Ritual Cacao in a ceramic mug

A customer recently asked me a great question: "Wait, aren't you not supposed to heat colostrum?"

It's a fair question. And the honest answer is that you don't want to boil it.

But the way Mavi is meant to be made already takes care of that. Here's why, and exactly how to make your cup.

Why Heat Matters for Colostrum

Colostrum's most valuable compounds are delicate proteins: immunoglobulins like IgG, along with growth factors and other bioactive peptides. Like any protein, they can denature, or lose their natural shape, when they get too hot for too long.

Research on heat-treating bovine colostrum shows where that line sits. Holding colostrum at 140°F (60°C) for 30 to 60 minutes only slightly lowered IgG, and one study found that even 90 minutes at 140°F didn't significantly change it.

Push the temperature higher and the losses climb. In a 2020 study, 145°F (63°C) for 30 minutes denatured about 15% of the IgG, and a quick 162°F (72°C) flash denatured about a third.

Boiling water is 212°F. That's a lot more heat than colostrum likes.

The Good News: Your Cup Cools Fast

Those studies held colostrum at temperature for anywhere from 15 seconds to an hour and a half. Your cup doesn't stay that hot for long, and you wouldn't want to drink it if it did.

The way we've always recommended making Mavi, with hot water plus a generous splash of cold milk, brings the whole cup down to a comfortable sipping temperature. That's right around where you'd want to drink it anyway, and it's much gentler on the colostrum.

How to Make the Perfect Hot Cup

Heat your water to about 160–175°F. No thermometer? Bring the kettle to a boil and let it sit for 3–5 minutes.
Add one scoop of Ritual Java or Ritual Cacao to 6–8 oz of that water. For a Mavi Mocha, use one scoop of each.
Add a generous splash of your favorite cold milk.
Blend or froth until smooth and creamy.

With 7 oz of 170°F water and 3 oz of cold milk, your cup lands at around 130°F. That's hot enough to enjoy and gentle on the colostrum.

The one thing to avoid is pouring boiling water straight over the powder.

Or Skip the Heat Entirely

Mavi is just as good cold, and plenty of our customers drink it that way year-round.

Iced latte: Blend a scoop with 8–12 oz of cold milk and pour over ice.
Chocolate milk: Shake or blend Ritual Cacao with cold milk.
Smoothies: Add a scoop to your usual blend.
Chia pudding and overnight oats: Stir a scoop in before they set.
Protein bites: Mix a scoop into the dough.

Find more ideas on our Recipes page.

What About the Other Ingredients?

Colostrum is the most heat-sensitive ingredient in Mavi. Collagen, organic coffee and cacao, lion's mane, L-theanine, goat milk, sea salt and cinnamon all hold up well at normal hot-drink temperatures. After all, coffee and tea are brewed hot for a reason.