Butter

Role in the beverage

Butter is the body of the drink — blended in, it emulsifies into a silky, latte-like foam and carries the cacao. Because it’s consumed in tablespoon quantities daily, its processing quality (the author’s third principle) matters as much here as anywhere in the kitchen.

Quality criteria

• Grass-fed / pasture-raised — grass-fed butterfat is visibly deeper yellow (beta-carotene) and higher in omega-3s, CLA and vitamin K2. This is the non-negotiable floor; Kerrygold sets the widely-available baseline.
• Minimal processing — cultured and European-style butters are churned from fermented cream, closer to traditional processing; raw or vat-pasteurized-cream butter is the least-processed tier where you can get it legally.
• Organic certification — the author’s first principle. Note the tension: Kerrygold and Vital Farms are grass-fed but not USDA organic; Organic Valley Cultured Pasture and Alexandre are organic and pasture-based. Alexandre adds A2/A2 genetics and Regenerative Organic certification — the strongest overall claim set.
• Unsalted for the drink — salted butter turns the blended beverage noticeably savory; buy unsalted (or Organic Valley’s “lightly salted” cultured if you like a faint saline edge, but unsalted is the safe default).

Where to buy

Alexandre Family Farm — the top-shelf pick: A2/A2, 100% grass-fed, certified Regenerative Organic from a Northern California coastal dairy. Their own online butter collection showed no stock in July 2026, so buy through Whole Foods, Sprouts, Natural Grocers or their store locator; expect roughly $12-14/lb — price approximate as of July 2026.

Organic Valley Cultured Pasture Butter — the best broadly available match: USDA organic, cultured, churned only during peak pasture season. Sold at Whole Foods and most natural grocers in 8 oz blocks, typically $7-8 — price approximate as of July 2026. Lightly salted only, so taste the drink before adding honey.

Kerrygold — the everywhere baseline. Grass-fed Irish butter, unsalted foil block, around $4.50 / 8 oz at Walmart/Target/Costco (Costco 4-pack is the value buy) — price approximate as of July 2026. Not organic, which is the trade-off for availability.

Vital Farms — pasture-raised, ~90% grass-fed, 85% butterfat European-style, unsalted available at Target and most groceries for about $5 / 8 oz — price approximate as of July 2026.

Local raw butter — the processing ceiling. Use the RealMilk.com Real Milk Finder to locate raw-dairy farms and herdshares in your state (legality varies). Azure Standard delivers by regional drop point and has carried Kerrygold at ~$7.25/lb and grass-fed Rumiano around $5/lb — prices approximate as of July 2026.

Backpacking form

Butter itself won’t survive a pack, but grass-fed ghee will: clarified butter is shelf-stable for months unrefrigerated (e.g., organic grass-fed ghee, ~$15-20 per 9 oz jar, price approximate as of July 2026) and blends into hot water even more smoothly than butter. For a true just-add-hot-water dry mix, use powdered grass-fed butter, whisked into the mix with the cacao and cream powder.