The Brouhaha on Cold Brew – Another “Local Flavor”
When it’s too hot outside to sip a hot caffeinated beverage, much less hold it, you’re more likely to choose a cold cup of java for your morning jolt or afternoon pick-me-up. Well, Mr. Dewie’s has teamed up with Timeless Coffee (Berkeley & Oakland) to offer another option:
Mr. Dewie’s “Cold Brew” Cashew Ice Cream! That’s right, not just cold brew, but frozen cold brew!
You’ve seen this cold brew coffee trend the last several years, but what makes cold brew coffee so special anyway?
First and foremost, cold brew has a stronger and more intense flavor than hot coffee. The method for making this delicious high end drink entails brewing in cold (or room temperature) water, rather than hot water. Shocker, we know. But there’s much more to it. Let’s delve into the details of this popular drink, in the hope to entice you to get over to Mr. Dewie’s and give the really cold “Dew-Brew” a try.
Cold brew is created by steeping medium-to-coarse ground coffee in room temperature water for 12 hours or longer and then filtering out the grounds for a clean cup without sediment. Unlike regular coffee, cold brew is never exposed to heat. Cold brew uses time, rather than heat to extract the coffee’s oils, sugars, and caffeine. Iced coffee is created like any regular hot coffee brew method. It’s simply hot coffee that has been cooled down so that it can be poured over ice.
Pouring day-old cold coffee left in the pot over a handful of ice cubes is not iced coffee — at least, not optimal iced coffee. Letting brewed coffee sit around for awhile causes it to oxidize, making the flavor go bitter, flat, and otherwise funky.
Cold brew coffee is for those who plan ahead. It’s a long, gradual process, that can take up to 24 hours, like making sun tea, only without the sun. The result is a very smooth, rich infusion, with low levels of acidity, which can be a relief to those with sensitive digestive systems. But this process can flatten a coffee’s taste, leaving behind the nuances of properly ice-brewed coffee, which some describe as a full-bodied, Guinness-type mouthfeel. The upside: The cold-brew process, while it takes time, is less fiddly than ice brewing — basically, you just set it up and walk away till it comes time to strain the concentrate.
So, while it’s sunny outside, and while we still have some of this truly refreshing and intensely coffee flavored special available, hurry in and try some of our really cold coffee concoction!