Cool off with a coffee

I don't know about where you are, but here in my little corner of the world, the calendar may say it's still Spring, but it is definitely Summer.

The days are hot and humid, which I love, but a hot cup of coffee is not what I want when I'm sitting on the lanai (that's what I call my back porch when I'm feeling fancy) in the morning. I still want a tasty bit of caffinated goodness, but I'd rather have it cold.

Until I took a class in coffee making (who knew there was such a thing?), I thought cold brew was the same as ice coffee. You know, just drop a few ice cubes in your cup of hot coffee.

Nope.

It takes a day to properly brew the coffee so start it the day before you want it.

So, before it gets too hot for you to have a hot cup, here's how to make the perfect cold brew. 

A couple of important things to remember:

1) Use a coarse grind. A larger grind keeps the brew from getting bitter overnight. It's best if you can, grind it yourself.

2) This is a stronger brew, It is basically a concentrate. 

I have a special reusable metal filter that fits in a large mouth mason jar, but you don't need that. Before I got the metal filter, I used a cheesecloth filter. The directions below are for those who don't have either of those. You'll need a fine mesh strainer and some cheesecloth.

Cold Brew Mocha Coffee

Makes 16 cups

8 ounces (225 g) of coffee

2 ounces of cacao nibs

8 cups of water

1. Combine coffee, cacao nibs and water in a wide mouthed 64 ounce mason jar.
2. Stir it until the all the coffee and nibs are wet. As you leave it, the beans and nibs will float to the top. That's OK, just be sure all of them are wet.
3. Steep the brew in the refrigerator for 18 to 24 hours.
4. Line a fine mesh strainer with some cheesecloth and set it over a bowl. Slowly pour the brewed concentrate through. It's very important to do this as slowly as possible. Don't squeese the grounds in the cheesecloth.
5. Pour it into a clean mason jar. You can store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

To make a serving of cold brew:

1. Fill a glass with ice and pour 1/2 cup of the concentrate over the ice.
2. Add 1/2 cup of water and stir to combine. 
3. Stir in creamer of your choice and sit back and enjoy.

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