Cold Brew Recipe To Energize Your Spring

Hello friends. It’s been a while. Sitting at my computer on this very snowy day seems like an odd time to share my cold brew recipe with you, but spring will be coming soon……right??? Last summer Mark and I purchased a concession trailer that we sold hot coffee, cold brew, shaved ice, sweet fruity blended ice drinks, and DONUTS from. Who doesn’t enjoy some hot donuts with a coffee? We received a lot of compliments on our cold brew, and I wanted to share how I create it with all of you. It’s not top secret, and I want all of you to be able to enjoy this lovely concoction all year long.

Cold brew is brewing with time rather than with heat. Grounds are coarse, water is cold or at room temperature, and time brews the coffee and creates a beautifully natural sweet and smooth brew. Because the grounds are not subjected to heat, your final product is lower in acidity. Brewing time is ideally 12 to 24 hours. The ratio, the grind size, and extend of brew time that you choose will determine how strong of a brew you create. Playing with these variables enables you to create YOUR perfect cold brew! In addition, experimenting with various coffees further expands that creativity. The possibilities are unlimited!!!

When you see cold brew coffees on a menu at coffee shops or cafés are typically a diluted cold brew. What you make when you brew is a concentrated cold brew. You can then use that concentrate in various ways to create some amazing coffee flavor infused drinks, and even desserts. In a future blog I will share with you how I use coffee in some recipes. Let’s face it, you can’t go wrong with this.

You can go out and buy special brewing gadgets, and I will even add one to our online shop in case that is what you prefer, but no special equipment is required to create cold brew. You can create a delicious cold brew with a large glass jar and lid, a sieve for straining, and a clean tea towel, coffee filter, or finely woven cheese cloth to line your sieve. You could also use a French press. Please remember, the finer you grind your coffee beans the more surface area you are creating for brewing. This will create a stronger brew and will be a bit more challenging to filter.

To your brewing vessel you add your coarse ground coffee beans, then your cold water. Put a lid on this and it can sit on your countertop for 12-24 hours. After your brewing time is complete, separate the delicious cold brew coffee from the grounds and enjoy!

The length of time you choose to brew will play a part in the potency of your cold brew. If you find your brew is stronger than you like, you can dilute it to your liking with water, dairy, or non-dairy options. I personally enjoy coconut milk in mine. You can’t mess this up. The beauty in this is that everyone likes something a little different, and there is no right or wrong concentration or method of serving. It’s up to you. If you want to add a sweetener, I recommend agave, simple syrup, or even a little honey. A liquid form of sugar is best as granules will not dissolve well in the cold brew.

Cold Brew is not the same as iced coffee. Iced coffee is hot brewed coffee that is then served over ice. It’s not bad, but its not as smooth and sweet as cold brew…..in my opinion.

I hope you have enjoyed this blog. We would love to hear how your brew turns out. Tag us on Instagram or facebook. I wish you happiness and good coffee!