Perfectly Sweetened Cold Brewed Coffee

Coffee… one of my most loved things in the world! I have been searching for the best iced coffee for a long time and by long time I mean a few years. I’ve had a Keurig, I have a Nespresso, I’ve tried numerous different roasts and blends but one thing I just couldn’t master was getting an iced coffee that was just like what I would get at Starbucks. Yes, I’m one of those people. The people who shamelessly admit to going to Starbuck’s frequently. The people who have a card, and an app, and know the drive-thru person. The people who know what month their seasonal drinks come back. Ok, now this is just getting embarrassing but I think you get the point… I love caffeine in iced coffee form preferably from Starbuck’s but without the huge price tag!

I admit, I felt kind of stupid when I realized I don’t need any pricey gadgets to get my perfect iced coffee. I don’t need pods that cost $1 each, or a fancy machine. All I need is a bag of course ground coffee, water, and a cheesecloth *insert sad face here for every penny I have spent on coffee* Yes, it is true… all I really needed in my quest to find the perfect iced coffee was course ground coffee, water, and a cheesecloth.

Right now, I need to publicly thank Ali Ebright from Gimme Some Oven for her Cold Brewed Coffee post. Thank You Ali for enlightening me on how to cold brew coffee. I never knew this was a thing until I saw this post on Pinterest. I don’t want to say it changed my life because… well.. real life changing events are marriages and births but this ranks somewhere slightly below those events. My husband also greatly thanks you for all the money I am now saving! If you want step-by-step pictures of exactly how to do this go check out Ali’s post because it’s pretty awesome.

What really makes cold brewed coffee extra special is the fact that it is strong. Yes, that is the missing link when you try to brew coffee and then ice it. Unless you are doubling the amount of grounds you use, you probably don’t have a strong enough coffee. Pair that with trying to ice it, then the ice melting and you have the makings of a horrible cup of iced coffee. We have all been there, believe me I have too. My expectations are high only to be disappointed by a watered down mess. It is just NEVER…GOOD…ENOUGH when you know there is a deliciously strong and slightly sweetened (with a natural sweetener) cup of iced coffee out there somewhere. Here it is though, guess-work gone! I’ve posted a Caramel Vanilla Bean coffee syrup in the past, and I have taken the same concept and tailored it to this cold brewed coffee recipe to create the perfect iced coffee. The best part? Make this at the beginning of the week and enjoy it for a few days before you have to make more. This is really what I would consider a coffee concentrate, and you can enjoy many cups from just one brew! It is as simple as putting grounds and water in a container over night, then straining it in the morning. Once your coffee is strained you can make your simple syrup (which takes less than 5 minutes), pour it in the coffee and viola! Just like Starbucks!

I used coffee that I bought at Starbucks, the Kati-Kati blend. They only run this blend in the summer but with fall approaching their Anniversary Blend will be coming out and that is fabulous as well. Since you need course ground coffee to do this, the easiest thing to do is buy a bag of whole beans in one of their stores and they will ask you if you want it ground. All you have to say is course ground and they will know exactly what you are talking about. Alternatively grocery stores usually have grinders in their coffee isle so you can buy whatever blend you like and grind it there. The problem with a finer ground coffee is that it is really hard to strain out, and you are more likely to end up with grounds floating in your cup. I know not everyone has cheesecloths laying around but Target carries them in their kitchen section for about $2.83 or so. One package will last you a few brews.

Ok, so now that I’ve officially embarrassed myself with all of my coffee talk and Starbucks knowledge here is the recipe. The recommended amount of sugar will give you a sweetness that still lets the taste of the coffee shine through.If you don’t like sweetened coffee, omit the simple syrup. If you like an iced coffee that is just barely sweetened I would cut the sugar amount in half. Although this isn’t super sweetened, it falls somewhere in the middle.