Summer is here and most of us are feeling it. Hot weather accompanied by humidity can make it difficult for coffee lovers to enjoy their favorite beverage during the summer seasons. One alternative is cold coffee. Some true coffee enthusiast could never go down this road, and I argue they haven’t spent much time in Atlanta, Chicago or Phoenix in the middle of the summer. People who prefer their coffee in the summer over ice can rest easy because it is perfectly acceptable to enjoy the iced beverage. This also presents a new question: iced or cold brew?
For those unfamiliar that there is a difference between the two, think of cold brew as the new café on the scene. Many of us when we were younger knew about iced coffee. Gloria Jeans (yeah that far back), and smaller coffee shops would just pour ice over your beverage, and you could only find cold brew in trendy restaurants and café’s for the summer or during warm weather. Now major companies such as La Columbe and Starbucks, offer these year-round and in bodegas and grocery stores and there are now plenty of recipes for you to try at home.
What’s the difference between cold brew and iced coffee? They are almost the same, just how they are made is different. Iced coffee, if made right, isn’t just espresso or coffee over ice and more of a carefully constructed blend of coffee and milk or water over the right temperature. This prevents the drink to become watery. Cold brew is a longer process. Typically taking between 12-24 hours, cold brew needs time to express the unique flavors present in the blend. In the end you can taste the flavor of the coffee really well and the caffeine content is higher removing a lot of the bitter qualities you taste when served warm. Next time its warm out and you want to have some coffee, try an iced beverage and let us know what you think. You may be surprised.