I started drinking coffee when I was 14 years old. It was the early 1990s and Portland, Oregon was ground zero for the onslaught of espresso bars that was soon to sweep the nation. Boyd’s, one of the early local chains, had a location just a block from my high school and whenever my budget allowed, I’d get myself a latte (often with hazelnut syrup) or when the weather warmed, an iced coffee.
I’ve been a fairly regular coffee drinker ever since. And so, when the nice people at Driftaway Coffee got in touch a few months back to see if we could team up in some way, I said of course. They are a subscription coffee company that will send you installments of freshly roasted beans every two weeks.
They trick is that they like each new subscriber to start with their Rise & Grind kit, which includes four different varietals in one-ounce samples. Once you’ve brewed through each one, you let them know which one you liked best and that’s the one you’ll get in each shipment. It’s a pretty great idea, particularly for people who are just starting to explore single origin coffees.
They sent me one of the two-ounce Rise & Grind kits and once I was finished admiring the packaging (I’m a sucker for good design), I popped open one of the 2 ounce packets and got to work making a batch of cold brew.
I’ve been a cold brew coffee fan for years now (you can see that the first time I mentioned it was way back in 2010) and make it a lot when the days warm. I’ve refined my approach and upgraded my equipment slightly in the last five years, so an updated post on the topic seemed like a good idea.
I’ve found that everyone has their own ratio for cold brew. My preferred recipe is 2 ounces of coarse ground coffee to 3 1/2 cups cold, freshly filtered water. This makes a strong brew that produces enough to last 2-3 days (depending on how many deadlines I’m pushing to meet). I don’t typically add water to thin it out, but instead add a couple of ice cubes and a generous pour of milk and call it good.
I grind the beans and funnel them into a quart jar. I add a splash of cold water and swirl the jar a little to dampen the grounds and let them bloom a little. Once they’ve grown a little, I add the remaining water and put a lid on the jar. I tuck into the corner of the kitchen and let it sit for 12 to 18 hours.
The next day, I perch a cone filter over a clean quart jar and fit it with one of Coffee Sock cloth filters that Cuppow sells. I pour the sludgy coffee through the filter in a couple of batches, until the lower jar is filled with perfect, ready to drink coffee.
One of my favorite things about cold brew is that it has the ability to take mediocre or slightly elderly beans and make them drinkable. However, when you’re shooting for more than just simply drinkable, using good, freshly roasted beans creates a brew that is transcendently good.
For the batch of cold brew that is pictured here, I used Driftaway Coffee’s Guatemalan beans and it was magical. Earthy and a bit chocolatey, with just a bit of acid for lightness. Oh, and if making your own cold brew feels like too much work, I hear that Driftaway Coffee is soon going to be making their own concentrate.
The nice folks at Driftaway Coffee want to give a three-month subscriptions away to one of my readers so that’s what we’re going to do. Here’s how to enter!
- Leave a comment on this post and tell me what you’re drinking these days. Cold brew coffee? Homemade kombucha? Hot tea with honey?
- Comments will close at 11:59 pm eastern time on Saturday, June 6, 2015. Winners will be chosen at random and will be posted to the blog soon thereafter.
- Giveaway open to US residents only. Void where prohibited.
- One comment per person, please. Entries must be left via the comment form on the blog at the bottom of this post.
Disclosure: Driftaway Coffee sent me their Rise & Grind kit and are providing the giveaway subscription, both at no cost to me. No additional financial compensation has been provided and all opinions expressed are mine alone.
I’m drinking hot coffee in the morning and water throughout the day.
I love iced coffee in the mornings during the summer.
I use a Chemex in an ice bath, then store what isn’t drunk straight away in a jar in the fridge. would love to win the single origin goodies!
I’ve been drinking iced cold-brew, despite the fact that we’re apparently just not having summer weather this year!
This would be the perfect way to “graduate” from my DD dark roast half mocha half cream half ice!
Papau New Guinea “Mile High” from Zingerman’s coffee company. Medium-dark roast. I drink my coffee in the afternoon as I need a pick me up then. Especially at work when doing a 12 hour shift. 3pm is coffee time if we can find the time to make it. Have not tried cold brew but am intrigued! Will have to try this on those hot summer days!
I have been drinking lots of water as a serious summer goal, even flavoring a jug with thin sliced lemons this week. My husband starts every day with a cup of coffee and I would love to make him some cold brew as a little treat.
I have been bringing a thermos to work every day filled with Rooibus or Chai Rooibus tea. On weekends I start my day with leche con cafe aka warm milk with a splash of coffee.
Currrently the delightful “mystery brew” bag of coffee grounds from Whole Foods.
Hot coffee for winter and cold for summer is the delight of any day!
I drink a cup of hot coffee in the morning, Concordia Blend from New Seasons Market in Portland, OR. Though I am intrigued by your cold brew post and may experiment with it this summer.
I like hot black coffee and very cold tea!
Love your site- found it through my CSA (Philly Foodworks). I’m team cold brew all the way! Make it in big pitchers using a nut milk mesh bag. Hazelnut syrup and cream… Buzz!
Started drinking coffee when I was 12 years old and haven’t looked back. Morning’s aren’t complete without at least one mug of coffee with a splash of milk (drip, french press, bought from a shop as I rush to work.. I’m not one to be picky). Afternoons are for cold brew / iced coffee / iced tea, depending on the weather.
The only constant to my coffee drinking method is
Quantity. And that quantity is large.
Hot coffee in the AM. (In a mason jar with my awesome cozy that I won from you!) then iced, cold brew if the blend isn’t too fruity, or just regular most of the time. Lather rinse repeat until it’s herbal tea time after four pm. Coffee is my only remaining vice. Sigh.
Hot coffee begins and ends the day (and yes, I have no problem sleeping — weird, huh?), but an iced mocha coffee gets me through work. Sometimes it is cold brewed, but often I just chill the leftovers from the coffee maker.
I’ve been drinking a decaf cold brewed iced coffee these days, since I’m all pregnant and stuff. In the afternoons, I like a cup of decaf iced green tea with local raw honey and a splash of lemon. It’s been great!
Cold-brewed coffee is omnipresent in this house, along with seasonally appropriate beer – right now, you’d find me sipping something summery and refreshing, like a saison or gose.
I’ve been drinking cold brew for the past seven years and make it just like you, however my proportions are a little different. I agree, however, that it can make any type of coffee taste better! Would love to try this brand.
This spring weather has me drinking hot coffee one morning and cold brew the next!
Hot coffee first thing in the morning. And again at four in the afternoon for a pick me up.
We have a small espresso machine. I put a double shot of coffee and fill a full mug of water to make a delicious coffee/americano type drink.
In summer, my second cup of coffee gets ice cubes added to it!
Coffee. Always coffee. But it’s getting hot where I live, so I’m adding refreshing summer sodas into the mix as well. I keep jars of syrups around for homemade soda. My favorites to keep around are cardamom, cinnamon coffee, and celery seed, although there usually a couple others around that are varying degrees of successful.
In the morning I drink freshly ground beas from central America from my last trip and after work I stick to mint tea made from my min plant.
I drink Chemix coffee in the morning because it brews to perfection, or a K-cup when I’m in a rush. Then in the afternoon its cold brew. (Hey, I got two small kids and mama needs her caffeine) 🙂 I mostly purchase it already brewed either locally or Starbucks, but I would love to try your method! Sounds awesome!
San Diego has fully entered into June Gloom so hot coffee lattes and tea with cream and honey are what I’ve been drinking these days!
I love sticking a chai tea bag in my coffee!
I’m drinking Earl Grey.
Green tea brought back from a recent trip to China.
Last week we finished the jar of local maple syrup in our frig, and there was some crystallized syrup on the bottom. I poured my latest cold brew batch in there to dissolve the crystals and sweeten the coffee. It’s heavenly!
I am drinking alot of tea and honey these days, but have always been intrigued by cold brew coffee!
Hi,
Coffee = my favorite 6 letter word. Mmmm… this morning I drank Peet’s Major Dickason blend in my french press. All was good in the universe. Thank you.
Kimberly
love love love this post; it’s perfect because we just started making cold brew coffee at my house, and are still testing out ratios and seeing what we like! it’s definitely been fun experimenting!
Oolong tea that I love, or a plain ole cuppa joe. Stevia only please.
Iced decaf americano when I’m feeling fancy, or a cup of pour over if I’m making it at home.
Lots of iced tea and kombucha!
I love hot coffee to start my day. Later on in the day it is iced coffee with milk or iced tea sweetened with honey.
I’m drinking tons of homemade kombucha, iced coffee, and wheat beers! My favorite summer beverages. <3
Iced coffee…can’t get enough in this heat!
I’m drinking a lot of Califia’s Almond Milk Iced Coffee. I used to cold brew but haven’t had time lately… I’d love to get back into it.
Homemade mochas! I got an espresso maker for my birthday and I am really loving it!
I think I’ll give this cold brewed coffee a try – will be very nice when it starts getting blisteringly hot here in Texas! Right now I’m working my way through some Blue Mountain coffee my mom brought back for me from Jamaica.
I can’t get enough cold brew with homemade cinnamon cashew milk!
Coffee…hot from the french press, cold using a method very much like the one described in this post then cut with milk and ice, as cafe’ au lait blended with chicory and twice-poured-over in an antique french drip pot from New Orleans. All wonderful!
I like cold coffee concentrate and then add hot water!!!
I am in my final weeks of pregnancy and I so miss my regular coffee habit. I switched to orange juice from coffee during pregnancy.
It’s a hot cup of java in the mornings with a dash of cream for Me!
My go-to in the morning is a big mug of french pressed locally roasted coffee (Portland, OR still has a number of great roasters!) with a bit of almond milk. When I feel like a treat, especially on the weekends, I’m a sucker for almond milk lattes with a bit of honey drizzled in. Yum!
I do my cold brew very much like yours, except I put the coffee in a filter bag before I put it in the water. I had so much trouble filtering and found this method so much easier. It’s like a giant muslin tea bag, only with coffee.
Hot summer days mean iced coffee (French press) and iced tea when outdoors/driving. Chilly airconditioned mornings mean hot tea or coffee, depending upon my mood. Have only had cold press coffee once and loved it…Not sure why I haven’t made it at home!