By David Perreira
Drinking cold brew is a refreshing way to enjoy coffee on the hottest of summer days, or really any day for that matter. Whether you're a seasonal or year round cold brew drinker, you've probably found your favorite place to grab a glass. If time and money are on your mind, we're here to tell you that making your own cold brew is simple, cost effective, and can have delicious results.
Lets be clear that cold brew is not yesterday's hot coffee with ice in it. Hot water extraction pulls out the natural oils found in coffee along with its acidity. Adding ice to previously heat extracted coffee makes bitterness more prominent. On the other hand, brewing coffee with cold water over an extended period of time will highlight its sweeter notes while avoiding some of the acidity that we find in hot coffee. Ask your roaster or barista which beans may be best for cold brew, as each bean will contribute different flavors. Our baristas recommendation is our Burundi: Bwayi.
Here is an easy 5 Step guide to making cold brew at home:
Step 1: Grind your beans coarsely (as you would in a French Press)
Step 2: Add COLD* filtered water
Here’s a ratio that we basically live by:
12oz (1 bag of Coffee) : 1.5L (Water). Adjust accordingly
*We like ours as close to 33°F as possible.
Step 3: Ensure that all grounds are fully soaked and refrigerate (20 - 24hrs)
Step 4: Remove from refrigerator and filter to create concentrate
Step 5: Add cold water and ice as desired
- We recommend 2 parts cold filtered water to 1 part concentrate. Some may enjoy drinking the concentrate by iteself, but adding water will open it up nicely, will help bring down the caffeine content, and will make it last longer.
Pro tips
- Freeze some concentrate and create cold brew ice cubes.
- Use the concentrate with the spirit of your choice and make a refreshing summer drink.
- Here are a few recommended brewing devices, but you can just as easily make your cold brew in a French Press or use a coffee filter to get all of the grounds out.
- Try different beans and take note of the different flavors.
