Iced coffee, a versatile alternative
Fancy a twist on your favourite brew? Here, Mike Hardman from kitchen and catering equipment suppliers Alliance Online shares his tips for taking your iced coffee to the next level.
A delicious iced coffee ticks all the boxes – cool, refreshing and oh so yum. Plus it packs all the same health benefits as regular coffee.
Our favourite thing about iced coffee? It’s infinitely customisable, and you can tweak and modify your brew to suit your tastes. So, whether you enjoy a sweeter drink, want something healthy, or prefer your coffee with a shot of something a little more grown up, here are five ways to add a twist to your iced coffee:
Healthify your brew
Switching to a plant-based milk is better for the environment and can add a unique texture and taste to your cold brew coffee. Oat milk – the barista kind - can add a luxurious creaminess to your coffee, whilst coconut, almond or – our favourite - hazelnut milk will add a natural earthy sweetness to your brew.
Alternatively, consider mixing in a dash of matcha to get all the health benefits of tea, with the same great coffee taste you love. To do this, simply make your iced coffee as you usually would, and prepare a small amount of matcha to go alongside it. Then, treat your matcha as you would an extra shot of espresso and add it to your drink at the end.
Make it sweet and creamy
Who can forget the dalgona coffee trend that took social media by storm last summer? Using a few simple ingredients, you can transform your usual iced coffee into a fluffy and creamy brew. Simply mix a shot of espresso with two tablespoons of sugar and whisk until it becomes fluffy and smooth — a hand mixer is easiest to use but you could also use a manual whisk. The sugar will combine with the coffee to make a light, frothy mixture. Then, pour your favourite milk into a glass, top it with your sweet coffee foam, and enjoy.
Alternatively, take inspiration from the Vietnamese and add a dash of sweet, condensed milk instead of your usual milk. The result will be a perfectly creamy brew that's ideal for any time of the day.
Turn it into pudding
If you're after something a little sweeter, why not turn your iced coffee into a dessert? Take your brew to the next level by creating your own homemade coffee lollies. Once you’ve got your basic cold brew mix down, add sugar or maple syrup to taste, and then pour carefully into ice lolly moulds before leaving in the freezer for a few hours.
If you're looking for something a bit more instant, you could try the Italian classic, affogato: basically, coffee poured over a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Affogato is traditionally served in a short tumbler, but a martini glass will instantly elevate your dessert to dinner party status. If you like, you can also add a shot of your favourite tipple. We love a dash of amaretto or a hazelnut liqueur. Bellissima!
Make it boozy
Looking to mix it up come Friday night? Add a dash of your favourite tipple to your cold brew for the ultimate pre-out-out drink. Irish cream is iced coffee’s soulmate, amaretto is a perfect pairing, and dark spirits such as rum, brandy, and whiskey all taste divine with coffee. Simply add a shot of your drink of choice to your coffee once it's finished brewing. Stir your drink, add ice, and enjoy immediately.
Make the flavour last longer
An iced coffee is a delicious treat… until your ice melts and you're left with a glass full of diluted and tasteless coffee. Want to know the simple hack that means you’ll never have to suffer through a weak and watery iced coffee again? Simply brew a batch of coffee and leave it to cool, or make a batch of cold brew, then pour your coffee into ice trays and freeze. When you make your next iced coffee, pop a few of your coffee ice cubes into your drink. As the ice melts, you'll get even more coffee, so you can enjoy that yummy coffee flavour until the very last drop.
Who doesn't love an iced coffee? Transform your favourite drink into a delicious treat with our clever tips and twists. Give one a go next time you’re parched on a sunny day (fingers crossed we have a few more to come this year), and then kick back and savour the fruits of your labour. And if you’re reading this but not sure where to start, then make sure to check out Artisan’s brew guide to making the perfect iced coffee from scratch.
