Upgrade: Cold-Brewed Iced Coffee

Considering that I have one or two cups of the stuff every day, I haven't talked much about coffee on the blog. Coffee connoisseurship has really taken off in the last few decades, and I'll happily admit it's mostly passed me by. I know what I like, and that's a dark roast coffee, made properly and sweetened to taste. Consider this less a recipe and more a suggestion of how I like it. Although I enjoy a cup of hot coffee now and then, I mostly drink cold-brewed coffee these days. One of the big advantages is that it can be made well in advance, so I can put some in a Yeti cup and head out the door in the morning without boiling any water, and sip on it throughout the day. 

Being that I drink this nearly on a daily basis, it bugs me a little that my existing post is not very good. The biggest issue is that I didn't measure the beans correctly. The other improvement is the sugar. Since the pandemic started, I've been dabbling in making cocktails, so I've had simple syrup on hand. This is a much better way to sweeten iced coffee, as regular sugar tends to leave an undissolved sludge at the bottom of the glass. Here, I'm using demerara sugar to make the syrup. This is an unrefined cane sugar with a golden color often used to complement dark spirits in cocktails and for baking. I found this at the local grocery store, but regular sugar works fine if that's what you have. Cold brewing for a long time yields a fairly strong coffee, which I like to lengthen out with a larger amount of milk than I would use in hot coffee. I typically use soy milk, which has a nuttiness that complements the coffee well. Regular whole milk is good too, but I think skim milk is too watery to stand up to the coffee. Half and half works as well, but I generally use a bit less so it doesn't take over. 

For the first time, I've added an equipment section to the recipe, where I will list specialty, nonstandard equipment. This recipe is designed for a 34 oz. French press. I've gone through a several French presses over the years, which eventually end up knocked off a counter. I currently use a Bodum Chambord, which I find a superior product to the slightly cheaper Bodum Brazil, because it comes apart more easily for cleaning. One of the best ways to "upgrade" the coffee experience is with whole beans, which stay fresh longer than ground coffee. If using a French press, it's important to have coarsely ground beans, to minimize grounds getting through the mesh sieve. Coffee grinders that use a blade can't achieve this, so a conical burr grinder is a necessary investment. I used a Kyocera hand-cranked grinder for years. While this is the most affordable option, it's also a little tedious to grind the amount needed for this recipe, and I've since switched to an electric one.

Blended Coffee Drinks

Those who know me well probably think I am something of a coffee purist. They are probably right, but these same people also know how much I love slushies, and so we have my secret summer weakness, the blended coffee drink. They have certainly been the object of more than a few Starbucks runs the last few months, and I eventually started experimenting with making them myself. I have begun to appreciate having control over the strength of the coffee, and even more so the amount of sugar. This is a basic recipe that I have nailed down over a few tries, and it certainly lends itself to variations, if that's what you're into. It's a great way to enjoy relaxing outdoors in the warmer months.

This blog is not affiliated with the
Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company.

Ingredients

• 6 ice cubes
• 1/2 cup espresso or very strong coffee
• 2 tbs half and half
• 2-3 tsp sugar, to taste

Instructions

Prepare the coffee ahead of time and chill in the refrigerator. The coffee needs to be very strong, as the ice dilutes it quite a bit. I use my Vesuviana espresso maker, and it works great for this. A Moka pot would likely also give the strength you need for this. Another option would be to cold brew a long period.

Place the ice cubes in a blender and pulse on "ice crush" until the cubes are pulverized into a snow-like texture. Pour in the coffee and half and half. Add sugar to taste. This will, of course, vary to your liking, but I like about 3 teaspoons for this drink. This is still a lot less sweet than the commercial drinks. Blend to a smooth consistency, which does not take long.

Pour into a glass and serve with a straw. This makes enough to fill a large tumbler, about the same as a can of beer. One thing to watch out for is separation, as the ice will naturally float towards the top. Finely pulverizing the ice seems to mitigate this problem, but I do recommend stirring frequently or drinking it "like a trombone."

Cold-Brewed Iced Coffee

No Free Lunch has returns with a recipe to bring us into the warmer months. Grandpa loves iced coffee, and he definitely passed that on to me. Depending on the temperature outside, a visit to Grandpa's house will almost certainly result in either a hot or iced coffee. If it's iced, expect a scoop of ice cream, too. My variation is a coffeehouse favorite; instead of cooling off hot coffee, here we cold brew overnight. Heat brings out the flavor faster, but with it more acidity. That's why we need to brew for so long. Another good variation is Vietnamese style, adding sweetened condensed milk.

Ingredients

Coffee (makes 4 glasses)

• 4 cups cold water
• 90-100 grams coffee beans, ground

For each glass

• 1 cup coffee
• 3 ice cubes
• 1 tbs half and half
• 2 tsp sugar

Instructions

The coffee is made in advance. You can brew it in any kind of container - a bowl, carafe, pot, whatever works, as long as you can strain out the grinds later. The most convenient way is to use a large French press, since you can easily strain out the grinds. Add the grinds to the French press and pour water over them. Stir gently with a chopstick. Leave to brew for at least 12 hours. Once the coffee is ready, pour into a carafe. You can keep this refrigerated for quite a while if you want.

To prepare a glass of iced coffee, combine ice, coffee, half and half, and sugar, and stir. You may wish to crack the ice with the back of a spoon first. For a special treat, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to your iced coffee.

Irish Coffee

The inspiration for this post came a few weeks ago when I saw the last five minutes of an episode of Blue Bloods. Tom Selleck's character and his glorious moustache were showing his family how to pour the perfect Irish coffee. I had intended to get this one out for St. Patrick's Day, but as you can see, that did not happen. As it turns out, I didn't get it right until my fourth attempt. It seems that the key to this classic cocktail is to beat the cream and add lots of sugar to the coffee. My version is weaker than the International Bartenders' Association standard, using only one shot of whiskey, which to me is quite sufficient. This makes for a very smooth, tasty drink.

Ingredients

• About 1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee
• 1 shot Irish whiskey
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• Heavy cream

Instructions

Get the coffee started first. You can make this in any way you like. I prefer to use a one-cup French press for its ease of use. I grind up about 15 grams of beans, add those to the beaker, and pour hot water over them. Brew for 5 minutes.

Traditionally, Irish coffee is served in stemmed glass mugs. Since I don't have actual Irish coffee mugs, I used a wine glass instead. Fill the glass with hot tap water to warm it up. Pour cream into a bowl and whisk to thicken. Don't take it all the way to whipped cream. Transfer the cream to a container that's easy to pour from, such as a beaker or measuring cup. I find that the cream is more likely to float if you do this.

Once the coffee is ready, empty the water from the glass. Add the whiskey and coffee, filling up until there is about a half inch from the top of the coffee to the rim of the glass (more if you like extra cream). Add the brown sugar and stir it into the coffee. From what I've read, this is an important step for the floating of the cream, so do this even if you're a black coffee-guzzling Minnesotan.

The last step is the most important for the presentation of the drink. Lower a small spoon, backside-up, into the glass, with the end barely touching the coffee. Slowly pour the cream over the back of the spoon. If all the steps have been done correctly, the cream will float on top. Do not mix it in. The coffee should remain black below, and not clouded with cream. Serve immediately.