Cold Brew is one of the most popular ways to drink coffee in America. During the hot summer months, many people are less excited about their coffee because it’s just so hot outside. The good news is that the gurus in the coffee industry have been perfecting the concept of “cold brew coffee,” and it can now be found in coffee shops around the country. Many grocery stores even have canned cold brew from the heavy-hitter coffee brewers.
While it has a simple name, cold brew coffee is not self-explanatory. The coffee is not “cold” as it brews, and neither is the water. Rather, the coffee is coffee that is brewed with the intention of being served cold. One of the other great brew methods is to simply make a pour-over ice, which produces a cold cup of coffee. However, the cold brew brewing method is certainly the most popular way to make cold coffee these days.
Cold Brew 101
What is Cold Brew
If someone is familiar with coffee culture on the earth in 2018, they’ve heard about cold brew coffee. It’s coffee that’s brewed over a long period of time, usually concentrated, and then evened out with filtered water and served cold.
How Cold Brew is Brewed
There are entire books written on how to brew cold brew, but the basics are actually fairly simple. The beans are ground coarse, like a French press. The grinds are placed in a brewing device and steep there for anywhere between 12-24 hours, depending on the desired strength.
The ratio of coffee to water is also subjective, depending on the desired strength. It’s said that a good place to start is somewhere between 6 oz. of coffee for 4 cups of water.
How Long it Takes to Brew
It’s said that cold brew takes about 12-24 hours to brew. However, someone that is just getting started may feel that that gap of time is too wide to know where to start. It will take time and a few different brews to know how strong one likes their cold brew to be. A good place to start is a brew of 16 hours.
Does it Need to be Refrigerated
Cold brew coffee does need to be refrigerated to retain its freshness. Once refrigerated, cold brew will stay fresh for about 7-10 days. The great thing about cold brew is that once it's brewed and refrigerated, it's ready to serve and drink!
What Coffee is Best for Cold Brew
This will depend on Here at US Roast we have a Colombia Antigua that makes especially good cold brew coffee. Some of our favorite partners like American Tea & Coffee in Coppell and Jo’s Coffee in Downtown Mount Pleasant. For more tips or help on brewing your own cold brew be sure to contact us!