
What is Cold Brew Coffee?
Cold brew coffee has taken the world by storm. After becoming a giant success in chain coffee shops, the cold brew is now adorning the boards of many a café, including the mainstream and the more independent locales. However, despite its popularity there’s still many out there wondering ‘what is cold brew coffee?’, is it just a fancy iced coffee or is there more to it?
Keep reading to learn why everyone’s going crazy over this delicious cup of coffee that they call a cold brew, and the key differences between cold brew and iced coffee.
Cold brew coffee origins
The earliest version of cold brew was called ‘Kyoto’ and it dates back to Japan in the 1600s. It was an incredibly popular drink in the city, so much so that they eventually made cold brew coffee machines, and made a spectacle out of brewing the beverage in public places.
There has been some argument of whether cold brew was invented in Japan, as many believe that it was introduced to the country by Dutch traders that developed the process in order to transport large quantities of strong coffee that could later be reheated or enjoyed cold.
Interestingly, there’s been many documented accounts of cold brew coffee being used for war rations too, which makes sense, as the brewing method requires little equipment and requires far less coffee.
What’s the difference between a cold brew and an iced coffee?
No, cold brew isn’t just a fancy name for iced coffee! The key difference between a cold brew and an iced coffee is the latter is brewed hot, then chilled by pouring it over ice, this results in a diluted coffee which many strong brew lovers don’t like.
This is very different from cold brew coffee which involves creating a concentrate by slowly steeping the coffee grounds at room temperature which can then be served hot or cold, depending on how you feel!
Now you know what cold brew coffee is, and the differences between a cold brew and an iced coffee, want to learn more about other coffee types? Find out what a macchiato is, next.