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.

Ingredients

Coffee

• 50 g. (1.75 oz. or about 3/4 cup) whole, dark roast coffee beans
• Water

For each glass

• Ice cubes
• 6 oz. cold-brewed coffee
• 2 oz. soy milk or whole milk
• 1/2 oz. demerara simple syrup

Equipment

• 34 oz. French press
• Conical burr coffee grinder

Instructions

Coarsely grind the coffee beans. On my electric grinder, I use the one setting up from the coarsest. Transfer to the French press. Add a little water, stir briskly with a chopstick, then fill up with water. Stir a bit more, fit the cover, and let brew for 12-24 hours. I typically start the brewing in the afternoon for drinking the next morning.

To make the simple syrup, combine equal parts (by weight) demerara sugar and water in a saucepan. Heat on medium-low and gently stir until all the sugar is dissolved. Transfer to an airtight container. Simple syrup will keep for several weeks in the refrigerator.

Demerara simple syrup

The next day, press down the coffee and transfer to a carafe. To prepare each glass, fill about 2/3 of the glass with ice cubes, then add coffee, milk, and syrup and stir. For a special treat, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream.