For summer or intense heat, coffee has always been considered a way to accompany and refresh those moments of sweat, but we must note that all cold brew coffee does not provide the same extraction or the same effect on the final product that the consumer adopts as a refreshing or, in other cases, a double shot of power with a natural energizer.
Lately it is popular to call cold coffees to the balance of the coffee shot in a glass with ice or even making frappes, Sweeten them with fruit or invert them with Chantilly cream. Coffee variations seek pleasure, and as long as their ingredients are well-balanced, it's a fun, delicious, and different way to explore the world of coffee. There are countless ways to prepare cold coffee, but the best recommendation is to pour it into a glass (preferably chilled), add the ice first, and don't fill the glass completely with coffee. Over time, the ice will melt and form water, which will dissolve in the coffee, leaving it a little more watery than usual. Another solution is to pour the coffee into a glass carafe and refrigerate it for a few minutes to cool, so you don't have to add as much ice.
And is there any secret to making cold brew coffee? Well, there are no secrets. As we mentioned, it's essential to have a well-balanced shot of coffee, let it steep, and serve it as explained above. But a good trick is to pre-ice the espresso shot. This way, by having them in proportion to our preparation, it will balance out a bit and won't be so watery, even better without losing the caffeine notes.
Cold Brew
Keeping in mind what cold coffee is, we can talk about Cold Brew and according to its definition we could say that it is a cold infusion of coffee, being careful with this term we refer to the difference with cold coffee, since the latter is a preparation that has been allowed to cool while Cold Brew is an extraction made cold for a long period of time equivalent to 12 to 24 hours, another difference is that the hot extraction of cooled coffee can make the acids bitter, while in the Cold Brew process we will be certain to enhance those flavors even more, since it resembles an hourglass, where at first it will have ice which over time must slowly melt, dripping into the previously ground coffee and in turn drips into a glass spiral, the extraction remains in a jug at the end of the process leaving as a product a drink rich in caffeine, refreshing and commonly called a natural energizer.
If not from now, then how long ago was Cold Brew born?
This is not a new procedure, although it has become fashionable in recent years. Its history dates back in some ways to the 1600s, when Kyoto Coffee is consumed in Japan, to the present day, enhancing the flavors of coffee, but at the same time giving it an artistic touch in its extraction process, also leaving a visual pleasure. Later, in the 1800s, it is said that it was the French legionaries who consumed this type of beverage as an energizer. Later, the chemist Todd Simpson created an easy method to prepare it due to its extraction, which allowed it to be less heavy on the stomach, more digestible, refreshing, and enhance its flavors. This method has been preserved to this day in the preparation of Cold Brew, to which today countless ingredients have been added in its preparations such as milk, tonic water, spices, and citrus fruits like lemon.
The magic of Cold brew
A good cold brew requires two essential and basic ingredients when preparing it: water and coffeeβnothing moreβsimply and delicious. Of course, we must note that the quality of the product will depend on its ingredients. We must provide good coffee, ground no more than a day old, of medium or fine quality. Above all, the longer the contact time between these two ingredients, the greater the dissolution of solid compounds, thus, the higher the caffeine content. A home brewing process could be with a French press or a V60 cloth filter. Place the coffee in the filter, then in a glass container and dilute it with water. Let it sit in the refrigerator for approximately 15 hours. Remove the filter and the coffee and serve with ice, in a glass, or even without ice. According to expert tasters, if the brew is made with quality coffee, it should not be served with ice or with added sugar, as the coffee itself should impart intensity to the flavor and reduce bitterness.
One last point in favor of Cold Brew , aside from the organoleptic qualities already mentioned, is its environmental friendliness. Given that home capsule coffee machines have become a health concern, a container of Cold Brew can last up to a week in the refrigerator without losing its quality. A new way to explore coffee in the splendor of flavor and the refreshing quality of a beverage.