You need an afternoon pick-me-up, but it’s about 30 degrees too hot to down a steamy brewed drink from the nearest coffee shop. Luckily, the latest in 225 Dine‘s Summer Sippin’ series is all about chilled, caffeinated drinks.
First, let’s clear some things up. Cold-brewed coffee, iced coffee and frozen coffee are three different beverages, the names indicative of the brewing and preparation processes.
Cold-brewed coffee
The main difference behind cold-brewed coffee and iced coffee is the brewing process. Cold brew is brewed cold, never heated. It is steeped for a minimum of 12 hours and poured through a large sieve for filtering. Iced coffee is regularly brewed hot coffee that’s later poured over ice. According to the team at CC’s Coffee House, cold brew has several advantages over traditional iced coffee:
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• Lower acidity. Because cold brew isn’t heated to boiling temperatures, the chemical profile of this brew is less acidic than conventionally brewed or drip coffee.
• No dilution. Cold brew is already cold or at room temperature, so adding ice cubes is entirely optional, unlike with iced coffee. Plus, rapidly cooling hot coffee results in a slightly more bitter taste, which means cold brew makes for a naturally sweeter cup.
• More caffeine. Though caffeine is more soluble at higher temperatures, the high bean-to-water ratio in cold-brewed coffee and long steep time gives it more buzz.
Cold brew can even be made at home in a French press or with a cheesecloth, but patience is key. Trying to speed up the 12-hour steeping minimum can result in weak coffee or a strange taste.
How to enjoy it:
With cold brew, cup space isn’t limited by ice. While you can plop some ice cubes in if desired, we recommend taking advantage of all that extra space by flavoring cold-brew with coffee creamer or even just making the beverage heartier by adding milk. At CC’s, cold brew is available in original, chocolate, caramel and hazelnut. Magpie Cafe, La Divina Gelateria, Brew Ha-Ha, PJ’s Coffee and Starbucks also offer cold brew.
Iced coffee
Iced coffee is a tried-and-true summer beverage. Hot coffee usually cooled to room temperature and poured over ice, its leg up against cold-brewed coffee is the ease at which flavors such as vanilla, hazelnut and caramel are infused. Most coffee shops offer the basic iced drip coffee in addition to iced lattes, mochas and cappuccinos.
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How to enjoy it:
Iced coffee is available at just about any coffee shop, but next time you’re in the drive-through to get the chilled beverage, try an iced Americano instead of an iced mocha or latte. Made with water rather than milk or cream, Americanos boast a more full-bodied espresso flavor but are an overall lighter drink.
Frozen coffee
Dessert or coffee? Maybe both. Usually blended with a shot of espresso, milk and a flavor shot such as vanilla, frozen coffees are so customizable they can usually appease even the pickiest coffee drinkers. Topped with whipped cream, frozen coffee is a great way to end lunchtime and stave off the afternoon heat. Some larger coffee chains offer frozen coffee in every flavor imaginable, such as Starbucks‘ caramel cocoa cluster and chai creme.
At Highland Coffees, you can find granitas, an interesting take on blended frozen coffee. A spin on the traditional Italian crushed-ice dessert, granitas tend to be slightly less frothy than other frozen treats. Try it in original, mocha, vanilla, caramel or white chocolate.
Welcome to summer with 225 Dine. Our new Summer Sippin’ series will explore some of the Capital Region’s most refreshing drinks, from lemonade to cocktails to smoothies. Follow along with us each week to discover a different local beverage and tell us about your favorite cold coffees in the comments.