cold brew + cold brew concoctions

Cold brew is the coffee drink of summer. Or, in our house, the year round coffee drink of choice. To be fair, I love my stovetop espresso, but Patrick and I are the crazy people who will drink iced cold brew even in the dead of winter. We’ve been single handedly funding Trader Joes through our purchasing of their cold brew concentrate, but this past year I started making batches of homemade cold brew – and I have to say homemade is the way to go (if you can be patient for 24 hours). If you don’t have a cheesecloth or fine sieve, I bet you might have a French press and could whip up a batch to drink tomorrow. Add a splash or two of heavy cream and your afternoon pick-me-up might become the best part of your day.

COLD BREW + COLD BREW CONCOCTIONS
yields approximately three 8oz servings 

supplies and ingredients:
1 cup coarse coffee grounds
4 cups filtered water
cheesecloth for straining, or French press for a smaller batch*

DIRECTIONS:
Pour coffee grounds and water into a container or bowl. Stir together well and cover. Set the bowl aside and let it “brew” on your counter away from direct sunlight for 24 hours. After 24 hours, strain out the grounds (at least once) with a cheesecloth into a medium sized pitcher and refrigerate.

This recipe yields approximately 3 cups of cold brew (some of the water is absorbed into the grounds). The cold brew will keep for approximately a week.

TIPS:
-Any type of roast (light, medium, dark) is fine (really just personal preference)
-Type of grind: coarse, it should feel like sand
-While buying pre-ground coffee beans is convenient, it’s best to buy either very freshly ground (like DIY at the grocery store or have a barista grind it for you) or grind your own at home. Once the coffee beans are ground they immediately begin to lose flavor.
-Make coffee ice cubes if you like strong coffee
-*For an easy, smaller batch of cold brew, steep in a French press, using an equivalent proportion of ingredients. The French press filter can be pressed down after 24 hours to filter out the grounds.

COLD BREW CONCOCTIONS:
1) chilled, or over ice
2) over ice with milk or cream
3) over ice, stirred with a splash of vanilla or almond extract and cream
4) shaken vigorously with ice and cream (similar to Italian shakerato!)
5) affogato style- a scoop of vanilla ice cream with cold brew poured over the top
6) shaken with ice, maple syrup, a pinch or two of cinnamon, and milk or cream