Treat yourself with this fresh summer drink

There is a coffee drink that has been appearing everywhere on the internet and at many cafes for the past few years, and you might have heard of or even tried it: Cold Brew!

It is a very popular drink at our coffee shop in the center of Tampere and easily becomes the go-to drink of many of our customers. Imagine holding a cup of fresh cold brew in your favorite cup, tasting the sweet, soft and juicy coffee, listening to the soothing sound of the ice and enjoying the sunlight. I wouldn't ask for more.

"Sounds good! But is it quick and easy for me to make at home?" Easy, yes, very! Quick, yes and no. Let me tell you why. It requires minimal equipment to make cold brew and the steps can't be easier, you don't need to care about techniques. On one hand, it is quick and convenient to make because it only takes you minutes to prepare the coffee possibly for a few days. On the other hand, it is not quick because it takes 12-16 hours to brew, but you can prepare it in the afternoon/evening, and the next day (or next few days) you have fresh and delicious coffee ready at any time !

Let's get into how we make it and you can make it first, and after this, you can read more fun facts about cold brew coffee if you find yourself a curious person. Here is how you can make great cold brew at home:

• 80g coffee: coarse grind (the coarsest settings on your grinder).
• 1L water: water in Finland is so good (I can't stop appreciating this) that you can use it straight from the tap. Make sure you use the cool side because it is… cold brew.
• Add the coffee and water to a container.
• Stir gently, just enough to make sure all the grounds are in contact with water.
• Cover the container and leave the coffee steep for 12-16 hours in the fridge.
• Filter the coffee into another container using a sieve, paper or cloth filter. We like to filter twice, first with a cloth filter and then the second time with a Chemex paper filter.
• Your cold brew is ready. You can store it in the fridge for up to a week.

Tips: We recommend using lighter roast coffees with more fruity notes . It brings more of a refreshing summer vibe. Currently, Ethiopia Suke Quto 2/5 is our absolute favorite.

Recipe by our store manager & coffee-tea instructor Niina Varjoranta.

I'm glad you're still here. Now it's time for a couple of fun facts about cold brew coffee:

• Cold brew is a brewing method which uses only cold water to extract the coffee. With hot water, heat is the main factor that extracts the goodies from the coffee. On the other hand, we use the power of time to get caffeine, sugar, and flavors out of the beans when brewing with cold water. Quite often people mistake cold brew for regular coffee served with ice. Try both ways and you will see a huge difference in the taste.
• Cold brew is not only for the summer. You can drink it HOT! Yes, you read it correctly. With this recipe, you can put the coffee in the microwave for a short time and there you have a hot cup of cold-brewed coffee. Since the coffee is heated after brewing, what you get is a hot cup of light-roasted, refreshing coffee without too much acidity that may upset your stomach.

As a bonus for this mid-summer holiday, Niina also shares with us her cold brew tea recipe:

• Ingredients:
  • 20g Lime Ginger Organic tea
  • 1500ml cold water
  • 8cl Mint syrup
• Steps:
  • Mix tea & water in a jug
  • Let the mix sit at room temperature for 3 hours.
  • Use cotton cloth etc. for filtering.
  • Add mint syrup & stir. Can be stored in the refrigerator for 5 days.

Enjoy your mid-summer holiday!

- Long Nguyen -