Iced Coffee

I figured that the morning after daylight savings time is the perfect time to talk about coffee! I love my lattes but in the summer I need something cold and refreshing. While I loved the iced drinks I got at Starbucks, the ones I tried to make at home were always extremely disappointing. Last summer I discovered the world of cold brew coffee and my iced coffee drinking experience has been transformed!

At first I was slightly appalled by grounds sitting in cold water overnight, it doesn’t exactly look appealing, but the end result is definitely worth it. One of the struggles with cold coffee is that when you use sugar to sweeten it you end up with some undissolved sugar at the bottom. I looked around on Pinterest to see how other people were sweetening their iced coffee and the answer is…simple syrup. Why had I not thought of this before?!?!

This recipe gives you coffee concentrate which is diluted a little when you add the simple syrup, but is still pretty strong. Depending on how strong you like your coffee, you’ll want to use 2/1 coffee/water or adjust to your desired taste.

The hardest part about this recipe is that is does take 12 hours to brew, so you need to plan ahead.

Iced Coffee

The perfect combo for me is 2 parts coffee concentrate to 1 part water and 1 part milk with a splash of vanilla. Served over ice and topped with whipped cream. The simple syrup is just right for me, but feel free to use less sugar if you like your coffee less sweet. 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup ground coffee
5 cups cold water, divided
1/4 cup sugar

Directions:

1. Mix grounds and 4 cups water together in a bowl. Cover and let sit in the refrigerator for 12 hours or overnight.
2. Using a fine mesh strainer, covered with a paper towel to catch the grounds, strain the coffee concentrate into a pitcher.
3. For the simple syrup,  place sugar and water in a small saucepan and heat until sugar is dissolved. Allow to cool for several minutes and then add to coffee concentrate.
4. To serve, pour over ice and add water/milk until you reach your desired taste.
5. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Do you like iced coffee? Have you ever made cold brew coffee before?