In the US, cold brew has only recently become the popular choice of coffee drink, but it’s hardly a new style of coffee. Not to be confused with iced coffee, in which hot or chilled coffee is served over ice, cold brew is a noticeably different product. Cold brew is more than a slowed down version of hot coffee it’s essentially a preparation. Coffee grounds are steeped in room temperature water for up to 24 hours to produce a concentrate which can be diluted with water and then served over ice. Hot water brings out the acids in coffee, a characteristic that baristas refer to as brightness. Cold water on the other hand doesn’t, but will still get a full range of mouthfeel and sweetness out of the beans. The absence of acidity in cold brew is even more distinct when compared to the iced coffee from a few years ago.
Cold brew today is a sweeter, less acidic beverage that provides a satisfying coffee flavor in a refreshing new way that is perfect all year. This may be news to most, though it’s something the Japanese have known about for centuries! Known as Kyoto coffee in Japan, cold brew has been popular there since the 1600s. It was apparently introduced to the Japanese by Dutch traders from Indonesia, who may have developed it to produce large quantities of ready to drink coffee that could be easily transported by ship and served later. The Dutch and Japanese may very well have been among the first people to brew cold coffee, but other theories point towards Latin America. In a sense, the origin of cold brew is an evolution of the practice of making a coffee concentrate.
Many people consider hot coffee as the default brew of choice, but coffee has been enjoyed cold for centuries now. Especially before electricity was introduced, cold brewing coffee could have even been the standard way of making coffee. Not only is it a practical beverage to make because it requires very little manual labor it can bring out certain flavors and characteristics of coffee better than a hot coffee can. At Trove, we’re glad to see the US reviving this old yet established way of enjoying coffee and eager to see what coffee shops will invent with cold brew in the near future. If you’re looking for a delicious cup of cold brew look no further than Trove Coffee! Made with a Brazilian/Mexican blend and post blended with an Ethiopian Jimma push profile, our cold brew offers a very cherry chocolate profile that consists of bright notes of wine/fermented fruit.
If you’re looking for an easy way to make cold brew at home check out this video!