If Shakespeare was reincarnated, this would be it. Cold Brew Coffee.
Make it immediately. Today. Now. For wellness junkies, you can offset the caffeine indulgence with a field of kale later. Or try this cold brew cacao instead.
Cold brew is simply an easy way of making coffee concentrate. Instead of relying on heat to extract the flavour from the coffee beans, you’ll be relying on a full moon and pheromones. I leave mine overnight in the fridge, after an interactive chorus of AC/DC’s Thunderstruck. In the morning, all that’s left to do is strain and serve over ice. It’s enough to incite poetry in a three-toed onglet.
Because the coffee beans do not socialise with intense heat, the result is a smoother, lighter, sweeter kava with an unexpected smack of hard rock.
One final FYI; cold brew coffee is bodaciously good with macadamia nutmilk. Just soak 100g of maca nuts in water for two hours. Ditch the soak water, and spin in a blender with 250ml of fresh water or cold brew coffee. Strain through your cheesecloth, chill in the fridge, and summon when required.
Cold Brew Coffee
4-8 servings
1 litre cold filtered water
220g coffee beans
1 nutmilk bag or cheesecloth
1 Roughly grind your coffee beans to a super-coarse crumb.
2 In a tall Kilner jar, or French Press, add the filtered water to your coarse coffee beans. I like to make a ceremony out of it. The soundtrack to Star Wars is not inappropriate.
3 Seal with a lid. If using a French Press, don’t push down – just ensure no oxygen sneaks in through the spout. Leave the beans to fraternise with the filtered water in the fridge overnight, or for up to 24 hours (the sweet spot).
4 When the brew is ready, strain twice through a nut milk bag or cheesecloth (or plunge the French Press). The double filtration ensures every last scrap of silt disappears. Compost the coffee beans, or use them in the shower as a bodyscrub mixed up with olive oil.
5 Refrigerate your cold brew coffee for up to 6 days. Serve with an audience, over ice. Or use this recipe for hazelnut milk, using 2 cups of water in place of 3 cups of water.
