Summer Recipe Series

Cold Brew Coffee

Nothing wakes you up on a hot summer morning quite like ice cold coffee. Before you dump some hot brewed coffee over a bunch of ice cubes, though, you should know that with just a little bit of planning you can wake up to strong, sweet cold brew.

Cold brew doesn’t require any special equipment. All you need is a jar, coffee, water, and a sieve. Bonus points if you have a coffee filter for the final step.

Because the grounds aren’t heated, they’re not as acidic, so the coffee is naturally sweet. This is also a great way to bring out different flavors in the coffee you’re used to.

We sell bags of both Stumptown and Coava coffee, which we will gladly grind for you. If you grind the beans at home, be sure to go for a coarse grind.

Put the grounds in a large jar or pitcher, then add room temperature water (9 cups for a bag of Stumptown beans, 7 cups for a bag of Coava). Cover and let sit overnight, or for at least 8 hours.

Strain the coffee through a fine mesh sieve to remove the grounds. We prefer to strain it again through cheesecloth or a large coffee filter for clear, sediment free coffee.

When you’re ready to drink it, add equal parts concentrate and water over ice. That’s it!

This recipe will yield about 2 quarts of concentrate (a little less from the Coava bag), and the concentrate will last a week in the fridge, so this is especially great to do in preparation for weekend guests.