GOURMET

Summer essentials COLD BREW

WORDS: PHOTOGRAPHY

Ben Glennon from JOY Organic Coffee Roasters lifts the lid on the cooler side of coffee: cold brew. 

 

 

 

While Australians love their lattes and cappuccinos, once the temperature heats up, more and more of us are making the switch to a cold brew coffee — and with good reason.
      With its irresistibly smooth and full-bodied flavour, cold brew coffee presents endless opportunities to get creative with new and exciting flavour combinations. It’s easy to see why the global trend of cold brew has taken off in Australia — with our long, hot summers and outdoor lifestyle, there’s nothing better than an iced cold coffee to get your daily fix. 

 

 

So what is cold brew coffee?

Cold brew coffee is coffee that has been steeped in cold water for an extended period of time (between 12 and 24 hours). There are several reasons for brewing this method.

      When coffee is steeped for long periods in cold water, you’re left with virtually no perceived acidity and an incredibly smooth and full-bodied beverage. Cold brew is also more stable, so it can be stored in an airtight container in your fridge for up to a week, whereas an espresso needs to be enjoyed within minutes.

      At our café in Burleigh, JOY, we see a huge increase in customers switching to cold brew over the summer months. We love encouraging our regulars to get some brewing gear and try making cold brew at home. It’s so easy, and with our in-house specialty-grade, organic coffee, you’ll never ask for an iced latte again!

 

How to make cold brew concentrate at home

This recipe makes 1 litre of cold brew concentrate.

 

What you’ll need:

  • 200g freshly roasted coffee beans (we use our First Light espresso blend)

  • Grinder (or buy pre-ground coffee — make sure to ask for a cold brew grind setting)

  • 1.5-litre bottle or jar

  • V60 filter paper (or cheese cloth)

 

All good cold brews start with high-quality, freshly roasted coffee beans. If you like milk with your coffee, try a low-acidity, full-bodied roast such as our First Light or Sunday Morning blends.

      If you prefer your coffee black, try something with citrus or fruity notes such as an Ethiopian single origin. We have a range of coffees for you to experiment with — pop in to our café and see our team to help you decide what’s best for your tastes.

To make your cold brew concentrate:

  1. Grind your fresh coffee beans to a consistency that feels like course sand.

  2. Combine ground coffee with 1 litre of ice-cold water and stir well, ensuring all coffee is wet thoroughly.

  3. Set the coffee in your fridge and leave for 12-24 hours, depending on how strong you like it. At JOY, we find 16 hours to be the sweet spot.

  4. Remove from fridge and strain through your paper filter to remove coffee grounds.

  5. Your cold brew should last five to 10 days in the fridge. Enjoy!

 

 

Now that you’ve made your cold brew concentrate base, try a few of the following recipes. We use a ratio of 1:3 of coffee concentrate to water/milk. Feel free to adjust to your taste preference. The options really are endless — get creative and try new flavours!

 

 

THE CLASSIC

100ml cold brew concentrate

300ml fresh iced water (if you like your coffee black) or

300ml of your favourite milk

 

 

 

 

LIME COLD BREW

100ml cold brew concentrate

300ml tonic water

Fresh squeeze of lime (about ½ tbsp), plus wedge to garnish

 

 

COCONUT COLD BREW

100ml cold brew concentrate

150ml coconut water

150ml coconut milk

 

 

Let us know how you go!

We’d love to know how you go making these at home. If you want to step up your cold brew game, try the Hario V60 cold brew maker — it makes it so easy to brew amazing coffee at home.

 

If you need more help with selecting a coffee blend or type, or need brewing advice, pop into our café at Burleigh and we’ll get you set up to make the best cold brew to get you through the hot summer days!