The Best Way to Enjoy Your Coffee Cold
At our cafe, cold brew coffee is one of our true customer favorites and our baristas love it too! It’s the perfect way to refresh and refuel at any time of the year.
Whenever a new customer is curious about trying cold brew for the first time, we often hear two main questions:
- What exactly is cold brew?
- How is it different from iced coffee?
We’re going to answer both of those questions here. After reading this, we hope you’ll be just as excited for your next cup of cold brew as we are!
What is Cold Brew Coffee?
As the name implies, cold brew is coffee that is brewed in cold water. You may also use water at room temperature if you prefer to then chill it in a refrigerator or add ice when you’re ready to drink it.
The cold brewing process extracts a smoother and less bitter flavor profile than conventional brewing methods. This often results in lower acidity, so people who may avoid hot coffee for that reason may prefer cold brew.
Compared to standard brewing methods, cold brew is also much more concentrated. It is often diluted with water to varying degrees to adjust the intensity.
Cold Brew vs. Iced Coffee
Long before cold brew became a popular choice for many coffee lovers, iced coffee was the only widely available option for a cool caffeinated beverage. Now that many establishments serve both options, you might be wondering what the difference is?
When it comes to cold brew vs. iced coffee, the key difference is the preparation method.
Cold Brew Preparation
Cold brew coffee is steeped from 10-14 hours in cold water. As mentioned above, this process alters the characteristics of the coffee such as taste, smoothness, and acidity. However, because it was brewed in cold water and not cooled down later, it retains a much bolder flavor.
At Perk, we prepare our cold brew with medium roast, coarse-ground coffee beans sourced from Brazil and Ethiopia. Each batch is then steeped in-house until ready to serve! This process allows us to retain the beans’ natural dark chocolate, toffee, and berry notes that have become a true customer favorite.
Iced Coffee Preparation
Iced coffee is traditional hot coffee that is cooled down and then served with ice. Because it is brewed hot, it often is more bitter, less smooth, and far more acidic than its cold brew counterpart.
Iced coffee also has a far milder and weaker taste due to it being cooled and then further diluted when you add ice to the mix. Cold brew concentrate is intended to be diluted, so the overall flavor is not impacted by adding water or ice to the mix.
Why We Prefer Cold Brew Over Iced Coffee at Perk
Our Customers Love It!
First and foremost, our customers love cold brew. That’s the number one reason why we brew it! We agree with many of our Perk guests that it’s simply a better cup of coffee compared to a traditional iced coffee when you’re in the mood for something cool.
It’s Fresher Than Iced Coffee
Nothing’s worse than when you go to take a sip of your hot coffee and find that it’s gone cold. Yuck! However, that’s exactly what iced coffee is. The end result with iced coffee is a less fresh, less flavorful, and weaker result than what you can achieve with cold brew. Where it may have some distinct notes when served hot, those flavors are drastically weakened and dulled after being chilled and poured over ice.
It’s Simply Better Tasting
As we mentioned earlier, the cold brew process results in a smoother, more flavorful finished product. The flavor notes in hot coffee can dull as it cools, while cold brew will retain its unique profile for much longer.
All the Caffeine with Less Acidity
Cold brew can give you that extra boost that a fresh cup of hot coffee can but with far less acidity. For those with sensitive stomachs, having the option for a less-acidic coffee can feel too good to be true. With cold brew, it’s more than possible!
Get Better Cold Brew in Ocean County, NJ!
As you can tell, we are true cold brew coffee aficionados at Perk. We believe it’s simply cold coffee done the right way. If you want to try some for yourself, come visit our cafe at 333 US 9 in Bayville 7 days a week! Be sure to check out our menu for other items you may want to order as well.
