Summer months call for cold brew, for a variety of reasons. The warmer weather begs for a chilled beverage, but also the busier days require a more convenient drink as you find yourself on the go more. Cold brew is the perfect coffee brewing method for all of the above, while also providing a smoother flavor profile.

Cold brew is not to be confused with iced coffee. Iced coffee is simply any coffee poured over ice. Cold brew, on the other hand, is a method of brewing coffee that produces a less acidic and more mellow brew because of the slower extraction.

The cold brew method requires some prep work and wait time, but once it’s made, it will keep in a container in the refrigerator, ready to drink when you want it. The method produces a very concentrated coffee that you add water, ice, and/or milk to in order to dilute.

Pro Tips For the Best Cold Brew

• Grind Size: Use a coarse grind, about the texture of coarse sea salt or raw sugar to ensure a smooth, sweet extraction. A fine grind will result in a muddy, bitter brew.
• Steeping Time: Room temperature brewing for 12-16 hours extracts flavor quickly, whereas brewing in the fridge will take 4-8 hours longer (16-24 hours).
• Water Quality: Cold brew is roughly 98% water, making it extra important to use clean, filtered water for the best taste. 
• Roast Type: Medium to dark roast are recommended, because it’s easier to achieve the smooth cold brew profile people love. The acidity in a light roast can be harder to balance by cold brewing.
• Coffee Cubes: Take your cold brew to the next level by pouring a little of your cold brew into an ice tray and freezing. You can use the coffee ice cubes in your cold brew coffee.
• Heat it up: You don’t have to drink cold brew cold. You can dilute it with hot water instead of cold and/or add steamed milk for a pre-made quick hot coffee.
• Prefer Decaf?: You can make cold brew with decaf beans as well, if you want all the coffee taste with less of the caffeine.

What You Need For Making Cold Brew

The coffee to water ratio is incredibly important in cold brew, for the perfect extraction to create a good balance of flavor. 

The Coffee:Water Ratio We Recommend:

• For 19oz of concentrated coffee, use 5oz of coffee and 23oz of water. 
• For 38oz of concentrated coffee, use 10oz of coffee and 46oz of water.

Additional Items You’ll Need:

• 2 containers that can hold 24oz of liquid or 2 containers that can hold 48oz of liquid, depending on your desired final amount
• A fine mesh strainer
• A coffee filter
• A kitchen scale

The Cold Brew Method

1. Place the ground coffee in one of the containers.
2. Add room temperature water and with a spoon, stir the wet coffee grounds gently to saturate them.
3. Cover the grounds and allow them to steep for 12-16 hours at room temperature.
4. Line a fine-mesh strainer with a standard coffee filter and fit it over a clean container. 5. Working in small batches, slowly pour the coffee through the filter until all of the liquid has passed through the strainer. The coffee will pass through in a slow stream; don’t force it through. Discard the contents of the strainer.
6. The coffee is now at a concentrate and can be diluted with water to achieve the desired body strength. Generally the concentration is diluted using a cold brew to water ratio of 1:2, so 2oz of cold brew and 4oz of water for a 6oz cup of coffee.

Cold brew can be served chilled over ice and with or without milk. The concentrated solution can be kept refrigerated for up to 10 days.

While medium to dark roasts are preferable for cold brew, our Brillante Light Roast makes an excellent cold brew because of our blend of high-grown milds and Sumatran arabicas bring our a vibrant flavor profile. It comes pre-ground with the proper grind coarseness for a light and bright cold brew coffee.