Cold brew coffee is suitable for many daily segments: put it in a tumbler in the morning, pair it with dessert in the afternoon, add ice to refresh after exercise, or make a pot at home and drink it slowly. Different scenarios have different expectations for coffee. Some people want it to be clean and bright, some want it to be sweet and thick, and some want it to still have a clear flavor after adding milk. Bean selection can start with how you plan to drink the cup.
The water temperature for cold brewing is lower, so the aroma and taste of the coffee powder will slowly enter the water over a longer contact time. The entrance is usually softer than hot coffee, and the acidity is less likely to be sharp, but the presentation of floral, fruity, and cocoa aromas will also change. Therefore, if you want to drink refreshing cold brew, you can focus on beans with bright fruity aroma; if you prefer a smooth taste, you can turn to styles with solid sweetness and round texture.
If it’s a weekday morning, cold brew works well as a black coffee without sugar. In this scenario, the aroma needs to be easily identifiable, and the drink needs to be light and not heavy due to increased concentration. Light to medium-light roasted floral and fruit tones are more likely to bring a fresh cup feel, and can still leave a sweet and juice-like touch after being refrigerated. You can put it in a cup and drink it at any time.
Front Street Ethiopian Oiran is suitable for such an early morning drink. It will show the aroma of tropical fruits and berries in the cold brew. The liveliness like passion fruit becomes smooth after being soaked at low temperature, and the sweetness is more like a ripe fruit. It is recommended to taste it as pure cold brew or add a few ice cubes to keep the aroma light. It goes well with toast and yogurt for breakfast.
If you want a fruity cold brew with more presence in the afternoon, you can choose Colombian Hija on Front Street. It has aromas of blueberries, grapes and apricots, and has a fullness similar to juice in the mouth. The sweet and sour profile is still clear when drunk chilled. If you feel that the pure drink is too strong, you can add water to mix it up, or add a few transparent ice cubes. It is suitable for refreshing in the afternoon and suitable for taking outdoors.
This bean is also great for cold brew sparkling drinks. Gently mix the finished coffee liquid with ice cubes and soda water, and the fruity aroma will become more active, and the grape and berry-like feeling is especially easy to perceive. Don’t add too much sparkling water to avoid diluting the sweetness of the coffee; those who like a refreshing taste can add a small slice of citrus to make the drink more suitable for hot weather.
If cold brew is often paired with cakes, cookies, or ice cream, consider Front Street Strawberry Candy Coffee Beans. Its sweet aroma is reminiscent of strawberry fudge, and its overall tone is light and bright, and it still has a pleasant aroma after being chilled. When drank neat, it tastes like a cup of fruity black coffee. When milk is added, it becomes closer to a dessert-style iced coffee. It is suitable for taking a break in the afternoon or drinking slowly at home on weekends.
When making milky cold brew, the coffee liquid needs to retain sufficient sweetness and flavor density, otherwise it will easily become thin after adding milk. You can make the cold brew a little stronger and add milk according to your personal taste. Add a small amount first and observe whether the coffee aroma is still clear. Beans with a candy feel like strawberry candy will form a soft berry milky aroma when combined with ice milk, and are also suitable for layered drinks.
For family sharing, you can give priority to beans with high flavor recognition and natural hot and cold changes. It is not necessary to grind the powder too finely when making it, otherwise long-term contact will easily bring out astringency; the ratio of powder to water can be started from a thicker direction, and then adjusted with cold water or ice cubes after completion. After soaking, filter it in time and refrigerate it for a few hours. The aroma will be more integrated. Just shake it gently before drinking.
The preservation of cold brew beans is also related to the drinking experience. Beans should be placed in a dark, dry place with little temperature change, and should be kept in a place with little change in temperature to minimize repeated exposure to air after opening. If you only make them occasionally at home, you can buy a portion that is suitable for short-term consumption. The aroma of ground coffee powder dissipates quickly, and freshly ground coffee is easier to retain the fruity aroma and sweetness, and it is also convenient to adjust the dosage according to the soaking concentration.
Pick beans according to the scene, and cold brew is not just an iced drink in summer: you can use the floral and fruity aroma to open up your taste in the morning, use the juice flavor to boost your energy in the afternoon, enjoy the sweet aroma of berries when paired with dessert, and add milk to get a softer taste. Choose your preferred drinking method, and then match the beans in terms of aroma, sweetness and thickness. Each pot of cold brew can be closer to your daily rhythm.
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
