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Ingredients
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Cold Brew Concentrate
To Serve (per glass)
Method
Cold Brew Concentrate
- 1
Combine coffee and water
In a clean 1.5–2 quart container or jar, add 1 cup coarsely ground coffee. Pour 4 cups cold filtered water evenly over the grounds. Stir gently with a long spoon to make sure all grounds are saturated.
- 2
Steep
Cover the container and let the coffee steep in the refrigerator or at cool room temperature for 16 to 20 hours. For a slightly brighter flavor, steep 12–16 hours; for a richer, more concentrated profile, steep up to 20 hours.
- 3
Filter
After steeping, strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve lined with a coffee filter, cheesecloth, or a nut-milk bag into a clean bowl or container. If using a sieve alone, strain slowly to remove as much sediment as possible. You should end up with roughly 3 to 3.5 cups of cold brew concentrate.
- 4
Store
Transfer the filtered concentrate to a sealed bottle or jar and refrigerate. Concentrate will keep well for up to 7 days; flavor is best within 3–4 days.
To Serve (per glass)
- 5
Assemble drink
Fill a tall glass with about 1 cup ice. Pour 3/4 cup cold brew concentrate over the ice, then add 3/4 cup cold water or milk (adjust ratio to taste; more water/milk for a lighter drink).
- 6
Sweeten and finish
Add 2 teaspoons simple syrup (or your preferred sweetener) and stir gently to combine. If you want a creamier iced coffee, float or stir in 2 tablespoons heavy cream or half-and-half. Taste and adjust: add more water/milk to dilute, or more simple syrup to sweeten.
- 7
Serve
Serve immediately with a straw. If desired, garnish with a light dusting of cocoa powder or a few coffee beans.