As temperatures rise, everyone seems to be looking for that cool drink to survive yet another long summer, and an increasing number of people are opting for cold coffee. Because — cold or hot — everyone needs a caffeine fix to make it through the day! Almost every respectable coffee shop in the city has an iced coffee option, but what is new and trending in cold coffee options is much harder to find, at least in Calcutta — that’s the cold-brew coffee, which is the rage around the world.
Coffee shops and major brands are clamouring to get it on their menu, looking to catch the wave. But what exactly is cold-brew, and how in the world is it different from iced coffee, and why doesn’t everyone carry it, and how should one drink it? Allow me to unravel the mystery.
Using an unconventional coffee brewing system, coffee grounds are mixed with room-temperature water, and then left to sit for hours — usually anywhere from eight to 24 hours — before the coffee is filtered. The brewing time is masterfully determined by coffee experts, according to taste preference, to yield the exact flavour the company and its customers are looking for. At 8th Day Cafe & Bakery, we infuse our cold-brew recipes for 18 hours to get our blend. What is also unique to cold-brew is that it requires a high coffee to water ratio — one part coffee to four parts water, thus making it a generally more expensive (and strong) drink.
Cold-brew is as old as coffee itself, but it’s just getting trendy… again (what goes around always comes around, right?). Because of this, many coffee shops are slow to the party and haven’t caught the wave of this popular brew method. It is also a very meticulous, time-consuming task that takes a lot of attention to detail and an eye (and taste) for the sophisticated. Having said that, have no fear — I think many places will eventually get on board with this coffee option.
The brilliance of cold-brew coffee is that it is designed to yield a more palatable cup of joe than its iced coffee counterpart. In fact, I have friends who can’t stand the smell and taste of traditional coffee but will gladly pick up a cup of cold-brew. It is smooth on the tongue and slides down easy. Cold-brew is usually diluted in water — I choose not to do that and allow the customer to dilute if desired — or served over ice, but like any other coffee offerings, many customers will opt to add milk or sugar to enhance the beverage. This is recommended as well.
STEP BY STEP
A coffee filter is placed inside a tub (which comes with a fine strainer) that holds the cold-brew.
To prepare one litre of cold-brew, 250g of high-quality crushed coffee beans is poured.
Room-temperature water is poured and the container (with lid on) is kept aside.
After 18 hours, cold-brew is poured into bottles.
WHAT’S NEW
♦ It’s a coffee with both mass-market appeal and indie acceptability.
♦ There is an absence of acidity in cold-brew compared with iced coffee. When hot coffee cools (and is turned into iced coffee), acids develop and many of these can be harsh.
♦ The flavour of hot coffee changes at different temperatures but cold-brew is relatively stable.
♦ If a splash of milk is added, the dairy tastes smooth.
HELPERS AT HOME
InstaCuppa
It’s 30 per cent larger than typical 1,000ml cold infusion brewers. Rs 999
Osaka cold-brew maker
The filter is made of 300 micron stainless steel mesh which produces clear coffee and it brews up to 1.5 litres at a time.
Rs 3,299
Bodum bean cold-brew
Includes two lids; one for the fridge overnight, and one with a plunger. Rs 3,422
Grant Walsh, a US citizen who lived in Arizona, calls Calcutta home after opening 8th Day Cafe & Bakery at 6 West Range, which is the place for pourover, French press or some nitro coffee. His Facebook whereabouts is @eighthdaycafebakery
