Page 2 of Iced Coffee & Cold Brew

Iced coffee from cold brews

Cold brewing is a special coffee-making process that requires long hours of drip and filtration without heat. The process yields a concentrate that coffee makers blend with water, cream, and milk, along with a variety of flavorings for instant iced coffee. The drink has a strong, robust taste with a unique depth of flavor, however, it’s blended. When chilled, the cold brew provides a refreshing beverage with no syrupy or bitter aftertaste. Most instant iced coffee varieties contain 100 percent arabica beans, a high-altitude variety that has a broad aromatic and flavor profile.

Instant iced coffee in ready-to-drink and ready-to-mix containers

Ready-to-drink cold brews are available in 10-ounce aluminum cans or in 13.7-ounce plastic bottles. Both types of containers come in other, similar sizes as well. Ready-to-mix concentrates come in larger plastic containers, from 19 to 32.7 ounces, to provide enough concentrate for numerous cups of cold brew coffee for the week or for several people at a time. Companies with a lot of coffee-loving employees should be sure to have both ready-to-drink and ready-to-mix cold brews on hand as part of their break room supplies.

Cold brew flavors

Instant iced coffee is available in traditional hot forms like cappuccino, combining espresso and milk, or mocha, combining espresso, milk, and either milk chocolate or dark chocolate. Con leche, a blend of espresso-style coffee with milk and sugar, is available as well. In addition, iced coffee is brewed with mild roast breakfast blends, dark roast bold blends, and a combination of house roast blends. Other flavorings provide a richer-tasting iced beverage with Mexican or French vanilla, a sweet-tasting drink with caramel or salted caramel, or a more acidic-tasting variety with the slight bitterness of hazelnut.

Cold brew coffee from well-known makers

Roasters and purveyors of whole bean coffee for hot-brewing methods also offer the cold drinks and concentrates. They include:

• Café Bustelo®
• Dunkin’ Donuts®
• Gevalia
• The Java House
• Steep and Brew®
• Starbucks®

Cold brew coffee in other packages

Cold brews also come in pods that are part of the Keurig® K-Cup® brewing system, which has a temperature adjustment feature that easily switches from hot to cold beverages. Ground coffee for cold brews is also available in teabag-style packets that steep in cold water overnight in the refrigerator.