The heat is here, and you want your coffee frosty and refreshing. Ed Kaufmann— a Trader on our Hoboken team who was previously a green buyer, roaster and cold brewer — shares some pro purchasing tips, as well as some hot takes from the InterAmerican quality lab.
What makes a great cold brew?
I typically drink cold brew without milk, so I like when a cold brew has a full flavor profile with some balanced brightness and plenty of sweetness, including chocolate/caramel tones. I really love when it still tastes great after some of the ice has melted.
Are there any lessons you learned during your cold brew coffee–buying days?
Cold brew can be a great place to use coffee that may have lost some of its luster as a hot brew. The brew method just doesn’t bring out age-related flavors as much as hot brewing does. That said, using cold brew as a “garbage disposal” is not a great idea. Some defects and heavy age-related flavors will come through.
In the early days, I think many of us were experimenting with different origins, qualities and ages of coffees to find the best cup. One of the biggest lessons I learned is that cupping hot coffee for cold brew is very approximate. The best way to evaluate a coffee is how it will be consumed. Roast level and brew parameters also play a huge part in the flavor. When it all lines up, it’s a beautifully refreshing drink in the summer.
Any suggestions for alternate options, when the usual or hoped-for coffees aren’t available?
I would say that very few cold brew drinkers would shy away from a cold brew that tastes like chocolate and/or caramel. Coffees that are more complex when they’re hot can yield some interesting flavors when they’re brewed cold. Often, they’re out of balance with one another. In this season of my coffee career, I say simpler is better. Go for sweet and soluble and leave the complex gems for hot brew or espresso.
Any cost-effective swaps you might suggest?
A 50/50 Mexico Chiapas Turquesa/Brazil Oberon 14/16 would be solid and sweet. Those two coffees take a deeper roast well and make a nice cold brew without having to beat the coffee up in the roaster.
You and Daniela recently roasted and brewed a few InterAmerican “inventory staples,” tasting them hot and cold. Can you share your thoughts?
Mexico Chiapas Turquesa HG: This was chocolatey, sweet and straightforward. In my opinion, this type of coffee does well as cold brew because it is inherently not as bright as some other options, making it easier for a roaster to get that deeper chocolate note out of the coffee. Go ahead, throw a little oat milk and simple syrup in there!
Kenya Nguvu AA: This was bright, exciting and sweet, with a syrupy body. This coffee really brought many of its best attributes to the cold brew, which I thought was best consumed without milk. A medium roast would provide a wide range of flavors and plenty of body, which is important for the brew to stay delicious as the ice melts.
Mexico Chiapas Turquesa, Kenya Nguvu AA and Brazil Oberon: This blend was sweet and lively, with an integrated brightness, plenty of chocolate and a wonderfully heavy body. It really offers something for everyone and, again, would hold up nicely with a bit of oat milk. Perfect summer morning grab-and-go! •
