Welcome to For The Love of Coffee! A weekly blog about all things coffee exclusively for the staff of Vienna Coffee.

I hope you are all enjoying this spring-like weather we have been having recently (last weekend’s rain and cold notwithstanding). And with warmer weather usually comes a change in the amount of cold beverages people consume. Cold Brew coffee has seen an increase in popularity in recent years, and here at Vienna that is no exception. Our sales of Cold Brew coffee continue to increase both in our own local Café and also that of our partner Cafes. This trend shows no sign of slowing down!

So what are the differences between standard drip-brewed coffee and cold-brew coffee? There are several, and we will do a quick dive into those differences.

To make cold coffee taste rich and flavourful without the acidity often associated with coffee that is brewed using hot water (acidic compounds are only extracted with heat) cold brew has several differences in brewing method. First of all, the coffee that is used for cold brew is usually (though not always) a darker roast because of the low acidity and also produces a rich and deep flavor in the final cup. I have recently tried some lighter roasted coffees used in cold brew production which can give the coffee a nice fruity or floral note. It is possible that we may begin to offer a lighter cold brew option here at Vienna in the near future. ;-)

Once the coffee has been selected, it is coarsely ground in preparation for the long steep time required for cold brew. Cold brewing coffee is an immersion technique where the coffee grounds are in constant contact with water for an extended period of time (12-24 hours). The reason for the coarseness of the grind is so that the coffee does not “over-extract” because of the long brew time and result in negative flavors. The slow extraction using cold water produces a sweet, smooth, and “mellow” result which many people find refreshing.

For most extractions using hot water a 1 to 18 coffee-to-water ratio is the standard, but for cold brew, it is much lower doubling the amount of coffee to approximately a 1 to 9 ratio. Here at Vienna, we use our Dark Horse Blend when making our cold brew. This dark-roasted, rich, and flavorful coffee is perfect for the dark and smoky profile we are after. After the coffee has steeped for approximately 20 hours in the cooler, the coffee is strained and placed in either gallon jugs or kegs for distribution. Sometimes nitrogen is added to the cold brew kegs to give the coffee a more creamy body and texture in the cup. This is popularly known as Nitro Cold Brew.

There are other methods to make cold coffee which are technically not cold brew that involve using a pour-over method such as the hario V-60 or Chemex and brewing the coffee over ice which basically “flash-chills” the coffee. This technique is known as the “Japanese iced coffee method”.

Iced coffee goes perfectly with flavour syrups such as Monin or Torani to create a wide variety of delicious and refreshing options for those who still want their coffee even on a blazing summer day!

No matter the temperature outside, it’s always a GREAT day for coffee!

~Matt~