Cold Brew Coffee
Cold brew coffee is popping up everywhere, in coffee shops, in beautifully branded bottles and in hashtags on Instagram. It’s hot outside and for summers like this one, cold brew is a very good option when you can’t face having a hot drink (unless it’s followed by a cold shower or a dip in the paddling pool – just me?!).
Once you know how easy it is to make, you might find you always have a bottle in the fridge ready for when it’s cold coffee time.
Cold brew is not only easy to make, it also has a lovely, mellow, almost sweet taste. There is none of the acidity or bitterness you might find in regular coffee because the beans infuse in the cold water rather than being extracted rapidly with boiling water as espresso-based drinks are.
I’m told it’s a great addition to a gin and tonic, and my local coffee shop serves cold brew and tonic for a non-alcoholic version.
The caffeine in cold brew is pretty strong, so before downing a litre of it as a refreshing drink remember, you have been warned!
To make cold brew coffee, you will need
- A large covered container
- A sieve
- A large bowl
- A muslin or clean j-cloth.
Simply add good quality, coarsely ground coffee (a grind suitable for a french press is fine) to the container, and top up with filtered water to a ratio of 1 part coffee to 8 parts water. Cover and leave at room temperature for 10-16 hours.
Strain through the sieve into the bowl, clean the container and sieve and strain again through the cloth-lined sieve and back into the container.
The coffee will keep in the fridge for at least 2 weeks and can be diluted with milk or water to taste, but the ratio I go for is around 1 part coffee to 3 parts milk/water.
Oh, and try it in that G+T and let me know how it is. Summertime fun!
