Cold brew coffee, what’s the big deal?

We all know how to make a traditional cup of coffee: pour hot water over ground beans, strain, and serve immediately.

Cold brew coffee is just that: brewed with cold water. But instead of pouring water over coffee grounds, cold water gets steeped with medium- to course-grounds for 12 to 24 hours before straining to make a coffee concentrate. Twice as many grounds are used in cold brew as traditional coffee, which is why you often pay more for this drink at coffee shops. (Iced coffee is not cold brew—it’s traditional brew, cooled down.) 

What’s the point of cold brew? Flavour! While hot brewing produces amazing aroma, it also brings out bitter, sour and acidic notes (not bad qualities, just strong). Cold brew has a sweeter, smoother taste with more concentrated coffee flavour that’s ideal for cocktails or smoothies, plus it stays fresh in the fridge for two weeks. As anyone knows who’s tried to microwave their morning coffee, hot brew goes stale after a few hours—same goes for iced coffee.

Tea time

Yes, you can cold brew tea, too! If iced tea makes your tongue pucker it’s because the tannins in tea get stronger as hot brewed tea cools down. Cold brew tea is a smoother, sweeter, more thirst-quenching beverage.