Cold Brew For You

Cold Brew Coffee

If this is the first you've heard of cold brewing coffee,

and you are not too ground in tradition 

(no pun intended-ok. maybe a little)

then engage with me as I let you in on a little secret.

IT'S AWESOME!!!!!!!!!

I can hear you saying,

"Why on earth would anyone do this?"

Fair question.

IT'S AWESOME!!!!!!!!

For more compelling reasons than my own enthusiasm,

when coffee is brewed slow and cold,

(I really wanted to write "slow and low, let yourself go, slow and low that is the tempo-

some of you remember the Beastie Boys-not Cheech and Chong-

but it didn't fit so I just did it anyway.)

It is much less acidic. In fact, according to an article I just read, these are the facts:

"The final coffee beverage is very tasty and much gentler on the palate. In fact cold brew coffee is much less acidic than regular coffee and contains up to 30 percent less caffeine. This is because during traditional coffee brewing much of the acidic compounds and caffeine are extracted during the brewing process by the hot water but this doesn't happen nearly as much with cold brewing." 

According to Hungersauce blog this method "extracts 90% of the flavor components of coffee, but only 15% of the acids."

I'm good with that. Less acid. Less caffeine. More flavor.

I do not need convincing. I've had it. You can order a cup at the Whole Foods coffee counter.

I had been grabbing the iced coffee at La Boulange for about a month

before I realized it why it was so superior.

Cold brewed.

I found this out when I ran in there one day and they were all out.

Thinking it was just coffee with ice in it,

I said, "When will you have more ready?"

Sweet lady behind counter, "Oh, not until tomorrow. I'm so sorry. We brew it over night in a cold brew method."

ding! ding! ding!

No wonder it was so stinking good!!!!

Then after I riddled the poor girl with questions, 

that I was perfectly capable of doing it myself and saving a little coin too.

So started googling and now I'm sharing with you how I do it.

Let's revisit my "It's Awesome" shout out,

so I can properly tell you what makes it so different according to the taste sensory

because that's what it's all about.

Due to the fact that the acidity is cut,

what stands in it's place are all the subtle nuances of the bean

that you usually miss.

Have you ever heard someone describe chocolate like they were a wine connoisseur?

What? pear? vanilla? tannins? rosemary?

You know what I mean.

I promise that when you have a cup of cold brewed coffee,

the flavor will come alive and you'll start to understand what people are saying 

when they can detect those nuances of flavors.

Careful not to cover them all up with cream and sugar.

You can, and of course that is your perogative,

but just for that first cup,

savor and enjoy

the complexities so that you can say with conviction

that you taste the difference.

I love it.

And look how easy it is.

*1/4 course ground light roasted coffee

1/4 C tepid water
Pour the water in. Leave it 12 - 24 hours on the counter with a lid. 
Make sure that each little coffee granule is touching water. I just swished it around a bit like in the photo following.

(12 - 24 hours)

coffee filters or cheese cloth
Filter it whichever way you choose. And then add at least 1 C of water, maybe more to your preference. Then store the rest in the refrigerator. 

1+ C of water.

It will last in the refrigerator for 4 weeks. When brewing you are making a 

CONCENTRATE.

You must add water to it. The barista at Whole Foods told me that it's so strong that you can stain you deck with it. Probably this time of year you won't be sipping on your deck, but your teeth like to be white, so please don't stain them by not diluting this concentrated coffee. Please dilute it. Several blogs I read stated that they pour the concentrate half way into a cup and then pour boiling water over it. That way they get the amazing flavor in a hot cup of coffee. I'm definitely trying that!

*According to BA's DIY Cold Brew Coffee Recipe- Stephen Morrisey who is the 2008 World Barista Champion, recommends using a lighter roasted coffee with a higher acidity rather than a darker, more bitter roast for a "luscious, soft, and supple" result. You can click on the link for their recipe which makes a bigger bulk batch.