Review: Robert Downey Jr. And Tom Holland Team Up For Bero X Happy Collab And We Have Mixed Feelings

Iron Man and Spider-Man. Tony Stark and Peter Parker. Robert Downey Jr. and Tom Holland. These superheroes, their super cool alter egos, and the super famous folks who play them are super busy people in all walks of their lives. They've teamed up in comic books, on the big screen, and now, in a new caffeinated twist, are uniting for a pair of limited-run beverages: Bero Coffee Draught and Happy Eternal Hoptimist ground coffee. Bero x Coffee is a collab between Bero, a premium non-alcoholic line of beer co-created by Holland, and Happy, a thoughtfully sourced coffee brand co-created by Downey Jr.

With so much star wattage in a can and a plastic container, are these hot and cold beverages Academy Award worthy or box office bombs? I popped open a can of the Bero Coffee Draught and brewed a cup of Happy Eternal Hoptimist coffee to see where the truth lies. Now we're ready to spill the tea, I mean "beer" and coffee, and ready to reveal all in this sip & say.

Recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

Bero is a premium non-alcoholic beer brand that was launched in 2024 by Tom Holland and John Herman. The beers are inspired by Holland's UK roots, and brewed in the United States. Earlier that year, Robert Downey Jr. teamed up with Craig Dubitsky to form Happy, which is "on a mission to help rediscover and elevate the everyday, starting with coffee." On-screen, Holland and Downey Jr. have shared credits in five movies, and are friends off set too. The two are now teaming up in a new way, forging a limited-time collaboration between their two burgeoning brands with a non-alcoholic canned beer and an inspired batch of ground coffee.

Bero's Coffee Draught is described as "a smooth, full-bodied beverage that blends the roasted depth of a stout-style beer with the silky, satisfying character of Happy's coffee." It's noted for having a balanced malt sweetness with notes of cocoa that pairs well with any meal or dessert, and is just as good as a standalone beverage. In a statement, Holland said, "Robert knows coffee better than anyone, and we wanted to bring that same level of care to a beer that celebrates what both our brands stand for: quality, craft, and a premium experience in every sip."

Happy's Eternal Hoptimist ground coffee "promises another bold expression that honors the art of brewing and coffee roasting alike." The coffee takes its usual arabica coffee beans (which are the type used by Starbucks) and adds notes of citrus and pine, drawing inspiration from the hoppy taste of Bero's brews.

This dual beverage collaboration between Bero and Happy Coffee is available for a limited time only, and while supplies last. Bero comes in six-packs of 12-ounce cans, and Happy ground coffee comes in a single 12-ounce canister.

Both products are available online and at select Target locations, with prices starting at $11.99 for the Bero non-alcoholic draught and $14.19 for the Bero Eternal Hoptimist ground coffee. You can also purchase the items as a "From AM to PM Set" at Bero for $25, and order a canister of coffee straight from Happy.

The Bero x Happy Coffee Draught is made of water, malt, hops, yeast, and you guessed it — coffee. A single serving is a 12-ounce can, which nets a drinker 86 calories, 19 grams of carbohydrates, 6 grams of sugar, 1 gram of protein, .36% abv (alcohol by volume), and 34 bitterness (IBU). It also contains a minuscule amount of caffeine at only 5 milligrams per can.

The Happy x Bero Eternal Hoptimist ground coffee is made with 100% arabica beans that are noted as being 100% responsibly sourced from Brazil and Colombia, and also contains natural flavors. These coffee grinds do not have any trace or alcohol in them whatsoever.

I popped off the white top of the Happy coffee canister and below lay a silver foil seal with the phrase "let's coffee" written all over it. I peeled it back, and like any coffee brewer would do, stuck my nose in for a large whiff. My initial reaction was that it smelled like trees, perhaps even mulch. After a few deeper whiffs, my nostrils told my brain that there were perhaps some notes of chicory and even Pine Sol... yes, the floor cleaning stuff.

The coffee was pretty finely ground, with a mid-range, brown to burgundy coloring. The brewed coffee had a much lighter brown shade than I expected it would, and it kind of looked like oolong tea. The smell had also changed too, with the water diluting the grounds — and the essence now was like a lemony zinger tea hanging out in the woods.

It was time to give my nose and eyes a rest, and put my mouth to work. After my first sip, I could tell it didn't have an overpowering darkness to it. It was more of a medium roast coffee. While I'm not familiar with Happy's other coffee offerings, this one didn't exactly taste like coffee, nor a hoppy beer either. Instead, it tasted like a darkened tea, with a very weak lemony tinge to it. I knew it wasn't exactly a winner, and further sips of it took me further away from enjoyment. It certainly had a unique and bold flavor, with its citrusy and natural bend, but this combo is one that doesn't seem to jive well with java.

After taking in the strange brew of coffee, I cleansed my palette and focused on the Bero Coffee Draught. It was packaged in a beautiful can with a reflective gold top and dark brown bottom, and gave off Guinness vibes. I popped it open and edged my nose up closer. It had the familiar essence of a stout beer that would be more common in England than it would in America.

I had a half pint glass at the ready, and did a slow pour from the van. While the bottom was filled out with a dark brown liquid, a surprisingly small amount of foam arose at the top. Within a minute, most of it had subsided, leaving just a thin layer behind.

I leaned in to the glass for a fuller whiff and a lovely, stronger stout scent filled my nose with glee. My first sip revealed that it had a body lighter than the color would indicate. The next round of sips cemented the drink's appealing loveliness, as it had a nice clean and crisp taste. Further sips didn't really disclose much more. I assumed those notes of Happy coffee would start to make themselves known, but it just kept tasting like a great stout beer... that didn't happen to have alcohol in it. I had no issues continuing on with this drink, as it was super refreshing.

What we have here is a tale of two beverages. To put it simply, one is worthy of a hero, and the other is a total zero. For folks seeking a non-alcoholic beer, but the taste of something very familiar, this is a very suitable option. I had mine for breakfast and it didn't even seem out of place at this time in the day. I actually wish it was infused with more caffeine, as it was the better "coffee" option of the two collaborative products. It's the perfect beer for fall months or any time.

The Happy coffee may have been inspired by Bero's hops, but it feels like it took a page out of a cleaning supply closet. Its odd, lemony, tree-like flavor was just too off-putting, and it tasted more like tea than coffee. It was truly a Dr. Strange-brew, if you will and a weird collab. I usually don't take my coffee black, and so after my initial round of taste tests, I proceeded to add milk, and then my beloved Sweet 'n Low artificial sweetener. Neither element was able to make a dent in that peculiar flavoring. This coffee had such a specific taste that nothing seemed to be able to alter, enhance, or bring balance to a cup of it.

In honor of the indelible film critics Siskel & Ebert, I'll give the Bero Coffee Draught two thumbs up. As for that coffee, I am rather happy that I don't have to try it again. The End. Roll credits.