Cold Brew Coffee

The hot, sunny weather is finally here and what better time to delve into the wonderful world of Cold Brew Coffee.

Cold Brew Coffee is the result of coarsely ground Coffee being steeped in cold water in your refrigerator for (usually) 24 to 48 hours. This is a bit different than Iced Coffee, which is just regular Coffee that is served over Ice.

In a cold environment, using cold water, the time required to extract flavour, caffeine, even colour is greater than when you brew a regular, hot cup of Coffee. However, the lack of heat produces a smooth, rich beverage with no noticeable bitterness – a perfect Summer drink.

As usual, we recommend that you have fun and experiment but here are some tips and tricks to a great Cold Brew:

1) Grind your beans just a little coarser than you would for a regular drip Coffee.

2) Try a Coffee to Water ratio of 1:7 to 1:10 but don’t be afraid to go stronger or weaker. We all have different tastes.

3) You can find relatively cost effective “Cold Brew Coffee Makers” on Amazon, Walmart or Home Stores. These are usually glass or plastic containers with a built in Coffee filter. In a pinch, try using a tea infuser or cheesecloth.

4) Consider diluting your Cold Brew. Your Cold Brew solution is higher in Caffeine than hot Coffee and, depending on your ratios and the steeping time, may be quite concentrated. If it’s too strong, just add a bit of water or serve it over ice.

5) If you like a strong brew and don’t want ice to dilute it, make some Cold Brew ice cubes!

6) Experiment with different roasts – you may find that a darker roast makes a better Cold Brew – or not, experiment!

Finally, we come to the question of how to serve your Cold Brew. Over ice works well for us. We’ve had plenty of Cold Brew just black and we find the taste to be pleasant and refreshing – especially when using our Ethiopian single origin, Buna Dabo Naw. But if that’s not for you and you like it a bit sweeter or creamier, we recommend the following:

1) The Quick n’ Easy – add a squirt of French Vanilla Coffee Creamer.

2) The Classic Canadiano – a bit of cream to your liking and real Maple Syrup – yum!

3) The Weekender – add Bailey’s of course – experiment with the amount.