Stay Chilled, It’s Cold Coffee Season!

Coffee lovers in countries far and wide have their favourite iced coffee concoctions. It’s common for coffee lovers in Chile and the Philippines to top their iced coffees with dollops of ice cream. Slovenians enjoy their double espressos with chocolate, whipped cream and ice cream added in just the right quantities. Thai’s like to add some mild spices such as cinnamon for a unique taste. The good news is that these delicious cold coffees from all different parts of the world often get recreated right here in various ethnic restaurants up and down the country – and they’re certainly worth looking out for!

There are two ways of producing cold coffee. The common way is simply to brew any type of hot coffee and then pour it over ice in a serving glass. Normally the coffee should be brewed a little stronger than usual, this is so the ice does’t dilute the coffee too much. But coffee purists insist it’s not true iced coffee because it hasn’t been cold brewed, so doesn’t have the unique taste or texture of the true iced coffee.

Those purists have a point, the difference is very noticeable. Cold brewed coffee is a completely different coffee-brewing technique and there are several cold-brew methods. Essentially cold brewing involves leaving ground coffee beans steeped in cold water over a period of time. In the Kyoto method, traditional cold-coffee makers take it to extremes and drip cold water over grounded coffee beans for up to eight hours. Unlike with the ‘hot coffee over ice’ method, cold coffee brewing means the coffee beans aren’t in contact with hot water at any stage of the brewing process. That makes a difference to how the various components of coffee, such as caffeine, are extracted and in which proportions. Cold-brewed coffee is typically smoother and less acidic.

One form of cold brew coffee that is rapidly gaining popularity in the UK is nitro coffee – cold brew coffee infused with nitrogen. The infusion of nitrogen, which is a harmless and non-flammable gas, has an enriching effect on the taste, texture and appearance of the coffee. Smooth and creamy, nitro coffee has been around for quite a while and was available in a few coffee shops or canteens, but it had always required a complex set up with a supply of nitrogen gas bottles needing to be replace and re-attached. The arrival of the all-in-one nitro coffee dispenser has changed all that. One nitro coffee dispenser that we at Liquidline especially recommend and stock is Brew’d. Perfect for restaurants, office canteens, street cafes and countless other locations, Brew’d is compact, convenient, attractively modern, simple to use and it produces deliciously cold nitro coffee that is refreshing and invigorating.

The frothy top and dark stout-like body of nitro coffee (often likened to a glass of Guinness) make it irresistible. With its great taste, velvety texture and classy appearance, nitro coffee is more popular than ever. We are sure that holding a fresh glass of dark-bodied, white-topped nitro coffee is certainly a cool look to have this summer.