Coffee is the second-largest traded commodity in the world and billions of people drink various brews every day. Hot or cold, it is the perfect drink for many occasions.
If you grind your own coffee beans, you will know that there are many different types of coffee available, all of which have their own special flavor. There are also many different ways to prepare coffee, which is what baristas do for a living. Not only is a barista an expert in terms of coffee blends and roasts, they also take enormous pride in deciding what ingredients will be combined with coffee, and in the final presentation of the drink. It is true to say that the barista is the chef of coffee.
When it comes to iced coffee, you may be amazed to discover the possibilities. You don’t have to be a barista to make a good glass of iced coffee, but drinking iced coffee made by a professional barista will be an inspiration. There are coffee shops in cities all over the world where you will find baristas at work, or at least outlets that use recipes devised by them.
If you want to make your own iced coffee, there are many recipes you can try. Just one thing to remember is that you’ll always get the best flavor from freshly ground coffee beans. Ideally, grind them yourself. Another thing to remember is that there are certain flavors that have an affinity with coffee, like chocolate and vanilla, and even certain spices including cardamom and cinnamon. Rum and various liqueurs will add some extra zest.
Some people make iced coffee with ordinary ice cubes, but you’ll achieve delicious results if you use coffee ice cubes.
Making coffee ice cubes is simple. All you do is to brew a high quality coffee, let it cool and fill ice trays. Once the coffee has frozen you’ll be ready to get started. Alternatively, you can make the cubes with black espresso made with rich, flavorsome Arabica coffee beans (use a high pressure espresso machine or stove-top espresso pot). You can add sugar to the coffee before you freeze it, or make syrup that can be added later.
To make simple syrup, dissolve a cup of white granulated sugar in two cups of just boiled water. Stir until all the granules have dissolved, allow it to cool and then pour into a bottle and chill in the refrigerator.
Here is a simple way to serve iced coffee made with ice cubes. Fill a tall glass with cubes and then pour 300 ml or 10 fl. oz chilled water over them. Prepare two 30 ml or 1 fl. oz black espressos and pour these over the top. Sweeten with syrup if you wish.
Another way to make iced coffee with ice cubes is to brew double-strength Arabica coffee in a plunge pot or a drip pot or brewer. Allow the brew to cool at room temperature. Then simply serve in a tall glass with lots of coffee ice cubes. Add syrup if you want to sweeten the coffee.
Iced Coffee
You can also make iced coffee using milk. Start with 180 ml or 6 fl. oz of cold milk in a glass. Add two chilled espressos or double-strength brewed coffee, and stir. Then add coffee ice cubes to fill the glass, and syrup to sweeten. You could call this recipe Iced Coffee Latte. To make a Chocolate Iced Coffee Latte, make chocolate syrup by adding dark chocolate to the simple sugar and water syrup recipe. Once this has chilled, use a little of it to make patterns on the bottom and sides of the glass. Add the espressos or chilled double-strength coffee before adding the cold milk and ice cubes. Top with whipped cream and a swirl of chocolate syrup.
If you want to make iced coffee with ice cream, try this simple recipe using double-strength brewed coffee. Put about four coffee ice cubes in a glass and top with a scoop of vanilla or chocolate ice cream. Then pour the hot brewed coffee over the top. Stir in 125 ml or about 4 fl. oz of cold milk and sugar or simple syrup to taste. Add a dash of Cointreau or Kahlua to give it a kick.
