Is there anything better than drinking a refreshing cold brewed beverage prepared with a mandarin fermented specialty coffee under the shining sun? We don't think so and that is why we will reveal our secret so you can enjoy it as well.

The summer is around the corner and it is time to get your cold coffee brewer out of the dark or get one (like a Hario Shizuku or Timemore Ice Drip) if you still don't have any.

Let's first shortly differentiate among the methods to prepare cold brew

The Cold Brewers

There are two basic methods: The cold drip brwer and the immersion brewer.

The cold drip brewer (like a Hario Shizuku  or Timemore Ice Drip) lets cold water fall from an upper container down onto ground coffee one drop at a time. The solution with coffee is then filtered by a paper filter and finally lands at a bottom container ready to drink. This takes up to 2-3 hours with automatic valves (Shizuku) and 6-8 hours on manual valves (Ice Drip). One advantage of this method is that it is relatively faster than other methods while keeping a great flavor. On the other hand, it requires a bit more knowledge in the preparation as the setup can get complicated to get the right flow rate and ground size.

The immersion brewer on the other side allows ground coffee to be immersed in any container with a metal filter in water long enough that all compounds in the coffee get extracted into the liquid. In this case, the brewing time goes up to 12 hours so you better prepare it the night before if you want to enjoy some cold brew the next day. One advantage for this brewer is the size of the equipment as it is made to fit your fridge so you can drink it cold without even adding an ice cube. The disadvantages are obviously the time it takes, but also a less complex flavor, as the water, nor the coffee move while brewing. .

The Recipes

Timemore Ice Drip brewer with exotic mandarin fermented specialty coffee. Now here is the procedure:

1. Grind 24 grams of coffee slightly coarser than filter (cane sugar size)
2. Set up the brewer and pour in the ground coffee and add a paper filter on top for even distribution
3. Pre-wet the coffee evenly with filtered water so improve the extraction
4. Add 400 ml of filtered water to the upper mark
5. Let the first drops fall and adjust the rate to reach 1 drop per second
6. Let the drip continue and check one or twice if the rate is constant until the upper container is empty.

Hario Shizuku with exotic mandarin fermented specialty coffee. Now here is the procedure:

1. Grind 55 grams of coffee as we would for a Pour Over (like a Hario V60) with a paper filter. Medium grind.
2. Set up the brewer, pour in the ground coffee, and add the paper filter on top
3. Measure about 700 ml of filtered water (up to the mark) and pour it on the upper container
4. Since the valve is automated, there is no need to adjust anything. If the taste is too thin adjust the grind to get finer.

The resulting flavors are really impressive with fruity and citrus notes, with no bitterness. A cold brew with this flavor is great by itself with no sugar or additives needed at all. 

If you want to make it look fancy, just slice an orange and decorate the glass with it. And don't worry if the orange falls in the coffee, the flavor will just be as great as before.

Visit Gallery 4 Café in Cologne

Not sure yet if you want to buy a cold brewer? Then just come over to our Café and order one a the bar. We are sure you will be loving to brew this at home.