When it's hot outside, regular hot coffee seems too serious. You want something light, refreshing, and invigorating at the same time. Cold coffee perfectly handles this task: it preserves the rich taste of your favorite drink, but turns it into a real summer dessert.
Making cold coffee at home is not difficult at all. The main thing is to properly cool the base and not dilute the drink with too much water.
Classic cold coffee with ice
Ingredients
- 150 ml strong freshly brewed coffee
- 100 ml cold milk
- 5–7 ice cubes
- 1–2 teaspoons of sugar or syrup or honey (optional)
- a sprig of vanilla or a pinch of cinnamon – optional
- whipped cream – for serving
Preparation
Brew strong coffee. It's best to make it a bit richer than usual, because the ice will gradually melt and soften the taste.
While the coffee is hot, add sugar or syrup and stir well. Then let the drink cool to room temperature. To speed up the process, you can put the cup in the refrigerator for 15–20 minutes.
Fill a tall clear glass with ice cubes. Pour in the cooled coffee, and then gently add cold milk. If you pour the milk slowly, you will get a beautiful layered effect.
You can garnish the drink on top with whipped cream, a pinch of cinnamon, grated chocolate, or a drop of caramel syrup.
The secret to an especially delicious drink
To prevent the coffee from becoming watery, freeze leftover coffee in ice cube trays beforehand. Such coffee cubes will cool the drink and simultaneously make its taste even richer.
Milk can be replaced with cream, plant-based milk, or coconut milk. Vanilla syrup will give the coffee a mild sweetness, caramel will add a dessert-like sweetness, and chocolate will turn it into a cold mocha.
Cold coffee is especially good in the morning on the balcony, during a leisurely walk, or in the middle of a hot workday. A few ice cubes, aromatic coffee, a little milk – and an ordinary break turns into a small summer ritual.
