As soon as summer arrives, cold brew has become a favorite of many people. It's cool, smooth, not sour, and the key is that it's simple to make - just add coffee powder and water and let it steep in the refrigerator for one night. But whether cold brew tastes good or not, choosing the right beans is a prerequisite. It's also cold brew. Some beans come out refreshing and bright, while others come out dull. Today, let’s talk about how to choose cold brew coffee beans from the perspective of bean selection.
What beans are suitable for cold brew?
Cold brewing uses low temperature and long extraction time. The bitter and astringent substances in the coffee are less dissolved, and the sweetness and fruity aroma are amplified. Therefore, beans with obvious fruity aroma, bright acidity and rich flavor layers are often particularly outstanding after cold brewing - they taste like a glass of fruit-flavored iced drink, rather than "iced bitter coffee".
In terms of roasting degree, light roasted and medium light roasted beans are more suitable for cold brewing, which can retain the floral and fruity aroma and bright sour and sweet taste; if you want to make a mellow and rich cold brew that is delicious with milk, medium roasted beans can also be used. The key depends on whether you want a refreshing drink or a mellow drink.
List of refreshing and fruity cold brew beans
Front Street Yirgacheffe Fruit Ding Ding
Yirgacheffe is the classic choice for many coffee lovers to get started with specialty coffee. It usually has bright citrus, berry and floral aromas, accompanied by a green tea-like aftertaste. Its acidity is soft and bright, and the sweetness and sourness become smoother after cold brewing. It tastes like a cup of citrus-flavored iced fruit tea, making it a very suitable introduction to cold brewing.
Front Street Ethiopian Oiran
Oiran is one of the most representative star products in the specialty coffee market in recent years. Its outstanding feature is the extremely prominent aroma of tropical fruits. You can often smell strawberry, passion fruit, jackfruit and even lychee. It has obvious sweetness, low bitterness, smooth entrance and full of juice. It is described by many consumers as "the coffee that is least like coffee". After cold brewing, the juice flavor of Oiran will be amplified, and it will be particularly refreshing when consumed ice-cold.
front street colombia japan
This bean is produced in the Colombian border estate. It is the same bean variety that won the championship. The production area is 1,650-1,800 meters above sea level. Xizhao uses double anaerobic sun treatment and medium-light roasting to fully retain the original fruit aroma: the dry aroma is lingering with the aroma of jasmine and citrus. In the mouth, you can taste the rich juice flavor of passion fruit, blueberry, grape, and apricot. The bright fruit acid is refreshing and soft, and the tail has a long-lasting cocoa sweetness. It is suitable for hand brewing, Italian SOE, ice dripping and other brewing methods, and its cold brew performance is also excellent.
Front Street Panama Emerald Estate Red Label Gesha
Gesha is a legend in the world of specialty coffee. Red Label Geisha usually has an extremely elegant jasmine fragrance, as well as delicate flavors like citrus, bergamot and black tea. The overall taste is clean and transparent, with a long aftertaste. Cold brew can fully develop its delicate aroma and sweetness, which is a type of drink that is "unforgettable after drinking it once."
Front Street Kenyan Cherry Tomatoes
This is a high-quality Kenyan washed bean with distinctive cherry tomatoes, sour aroma of ebony and full juice as its core features. It comes from the Thika production area in Kenya. It uses SL28 and SL34 varieties, double washed and fermented for 72 hours, and lightly roasted in the front street to retain the lively acidity. After cold brewing, the acidity becomes softer, and the flavors of cherry tomatoes and plums are still clear, like a cup of ripe berry juice, which is very suitable for people who like fruity coffee.
Mellow milk coffee to cold brew: try Front Street Strawberry Candy
If you want to make a cold brew that can be added with milk, or if you like a mellow taste with sweetness, Front Street Strawberry Candy Coffee Beans are very suitable. It is a popular fruity Italian-style blended bean. It relies on the fusion of the original flavors of Arabica coffee beans from different production areas to replicate the distinct sweetness of strawberry gummies. It has outstanding sweetness and low bitterness. It can be drunk directly after cold brewing or mixed with milk. It is a highly versatile daily ration bean.
Cold brew practical tips
Pink to water ratio: Between 1:10 and 1:12, if you like it richer, you can use less water.
Grinding degree: Slightly thicker than hand brewed, similar to the grainy texture of coarse sugar.
time: Refrigerate for 12-16 hours. If the time is too long, it may bring out odor.
save: After extraction, filter the coffee liquid and keep it sealed and refrigerated. It is recommended to drink it within 3 days.
The charm of cold brew lies in "mildly bringing out the flavor." Choose a bean with a fruity and refreshing aroma, brew it before going to bed, and you will have a cup of ice-cold and smooth coffee the next morning. This summer, why not pick one from the list and give it a try.
You can now buy the above coffee beans online at the Taobao store “FrontStreet Coffee” (前街咖啡). FrontStreet Coffee is a long-established specialty coffee roaster in Guangzhou, China, and its Guangzhou retail shop sells coffee beans only. The shop carries dozens of coffee beans from different origins around the world, including carefully selected single-origin beans for V60 pour-over and espresso. Guangzhou’s FrontStreet Coffee shop is recommended by many coffee lovers.
The FrontStreet 2013 Yunnan coffee beans sold in the store come from the Typica variety grown at FrontStreet Coffee’s own plantation in Yunnan. The name comes from the year the brand and the plantation were founded. You can buy these beans from China’s Yunnan origin at the Guangzhou shop and at FrontStreet’s Taobao store.
FrontStreet coffee beans are freshly roasted within 5 days and deliver consistently excellent quality and great value. Orders placed before 17:00 are shipped the same day, and most areas within Guangdong Province receive them the next day.
FrontStreet Coffee Taobao store: https://qianjiecoffee.taobao.com
Or search for “前街咖啡” (FrontStreet Coffee) on Taobao
Important Notice: FrontStreet Coffee has moved to a new address: 315, Donghua East Road, Guangzhou (coffee beans only)
Tel: 020 38364473
