April 23, 2024
by Natasha Nesic
Do you hear that? The sounds of birds in the breeze, squirrels in the trees, and crocus buds poking their heads out of the ground, saying, "Next month, please!"
For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, spring is well on its way, and that means we can joyfully anticipate warmer weather. And you know what comes with warmer weather?
Colder drinks!
We can finally take a break from finding the perfect boiling point for our incredible lightly-roasted Lardera coffee with our
smart electric kettle and start thinking about all the exciting options for cold beverages.
Cold brew, hereâs looking at you.
And itâs so easy, too! Just add your
beans to the correct proportion of cold waterâabout 2 teaspoons per 8 ounces, adjusting to taste for flavor depth and boldnessâand let it sit overnight or longer in your refrigerator to steep in your
cold brew pitcher, slow and sweet.
However, did you know that you can make cold brew with liquids other than plain water?
Here are five new ways to put a twist on this chilly classic:
1. Sparkling Beverages
If youâre looking to preserve your coffeeâs flavorâand we do recommend it when you want to make the most of its inherently fruity notes, like with the
Junin Natural, for exampleâtry an unflavored and unsweetened sparkling water: mineral, seltzer, or club soda.
The difference lies in the minerals and chemicals involved in carbonation.
Mineral water naturally contains calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, and bicarbonate ions, while seltzer is usually just water with added sodium carbonate, and club soda is water with potassium carbonate.
If you desire more sweetness, consider adding honey from
Adagio Bees before trying a sweetened or flavored sparkling beverage. Just be careful not to overpower the coffeeâs natural goodness.
2. Fruit Waters
Neutral juices like coconut water or aloe water, with their mild undertones, work well especially with tender budding beans like Larderaâs green coffee selection.
Try a delicate brew with the
Castillo Washed from Martin Tapiasâs farm in Antioquia, Colombia. This might need more time to steepâ18-24 hoursâsince green coffees are much lighter than light roast coffee and require a gentle touch to release their flavors.
3. Fruit Juices
Why not try fruit juice?
Adding a few shots of tart cranberry or black currant to your cold brew can enhance the coffeeâs inherent flavors. Match your juice choices to the coffeeâs flavor profile.
For example, the notes listed for the
Monobamba Washed are tangerine, concord grape, and black currant.
4. Alcohol
Please skip this section if you donât imbibe. For those who do, start with neutral-flavored spirits, keeping in mind that caffeine is a stimulant and alcohol is a depressant.
We recommend a 3:1 to 5:1 ratio of coffee to alcohol to preserve the flavor integrity of both elements.
For more pronounced flavors, consider beers and ciders, especially with a rich coffee like the
Catuai Honey.
Tea
With Larderaâs sister company,
Adagio Teas, just a click away, explore the wealth of options that tea has to offer.
Start with a 1:1 ratio of coffee beans to tea leaves, experimenting to find what works best.
Whether fruity, earthy, spicy, or vegetal, tea can elevate your coffee experience.
