A hot cup of coffee is often a good approach to warm up the stomach early in the morning. It helps to rejuvenate the mind and prepare the body for the work of the day. In fact, hot coffee is very popular among the average working people across the world. To this extent, people used to hot coffees never thought it could be otherwise. You’d definitely be amazed to hear that a coffee can be brewed cold!
The truth be told, a cold coffee is as good as a hot one. In fact, it also gives almost the same caffeine boost in the body system. Many people think that cold brewing is never possible because brewing coffee requires a particular amount of heat. Generally, heat makes coffee brewing faster as the flavors are extracted quickly. However, this is not really necessary. Cold brewing also produces the same flavor, only that time is the major ingredient.
Cold brewing requires more time because it can only dissolve based on particular elements of coffee grounds. This process will extract up to 90% (caffeine included) of its flavor together with about 15% of its acids and oils. Of course, this will affect the overall coffee taste but it still retains the major, volatile flavor.
Although the resulting coffee is twice the strength of the hot one, it still has lesser acidity and bites. Therefore, people who are after the “bite and acids” in coffee drinks may not find cold brewing interesting. Also, do note that the coffee beans are hot brewed first in preparing a cold coffee.
A brief history of cold brew
Although cold brew is not new, it has gained a wide popularity in the recent years, especially in the Pacific Northwest. The origin of this brewing method is controversial as there are many proposals about the origin of cold brewing. However, the most popular belief has it that cold brewing first emerges in the 17th century. Although it doesn’t make the café menu of most restaurants in about a decade ago, it has found its way into many groceries, stores, restaurants, and coffee shops as of today.
How it’s made:
Being a cold brew does not refer to the temperature of the coffee. Instead, it refers to the process of making it. The coffee is steeped in cold water at room temperature while it slowly becomes its best self over a period of 12 – 24 hours. After this period, the grounds are strained out while the liquid remaining is chilled and served.
How it tastes:
Cold coffee tends to taste a little bit sweeter, milder, and less acidic than hot brew coffee. This is because the heat tends to extract more intense and aromatic chemicals out of the coffee. Similarly, the aroma and the flavor of cold brew are less intense but not too drastic. More so, you can take it for a couple of days without losing its taste.
