August 23, 2017

If you don’t know the difference between cold brew and iced coffee, it’s actually worth knowing purely given the time difference between the two brews. It’s like the time you put into your firstborn versus your second…third…and fourth child. The iced coffee is just like your middle child—you forget to check the notes from school on how he is doing; you fail to purchase the same amount of clothes, toys, books, and blankets for her because you reused the firstborn’s regardless of the stains and holes; you feel that perhaps those math and science flash cards you purchased for your firstborn are not necessary for your other children; you might forget to pick up your middle child from soccer practice and you feel horrible, but you didn’t schedule yourself a therapy session like you did when you forgot to pick your firstborn up from daycare one day; and my favorite yet: you might have saved money for your firstborn’s college tuition, but you saved $0 for your second and third children. And your fourth child? He will be sent to live in a Buddhist temple to become a monk. That costs nothing, right?

Now that I sound like an asshole from making my point, let me explain the different processes between the cold brew and the iced coffee.

Cold brew is your first born: 18 hours of French Roast coarse ground coffee, comfortably immersed in water in a special brewing container, with a secret amount of chicory that we would never reveal to you unless you twist Doug’s arm after a few shots of tequila (don’t be a jerk, Charlie!). After the brewing process, we filter the concentrate, add more water and pour over ice when serving. You may add cream and sugar, or enjoy it black. Because no heat is used to brew this coffee, less acid comes through, and therefore you have an increase in natural sweetness. The addition of roasted chicory root (purely by choice and no longer due to the need to stretch the coffee), does not add caffeine, but it does help to increase the sweetness, and counter the bitterness, adding a nutty, dried-fruit finish to your already excellent brew. Do we have your taste buds’ attention yet?

Iced Coffee? AKA, the second, third and fourth children? That’s our traditional brewed hot coffee that we try to chill quickly by pouring it over ice and serving it to you. Another tasty coffee drink, but the brewing and chilling processes are as different as a first born and all the other kiddos that follow.

Both drinks can be enjoyed at NVCRC, but the cold brew is first-come, first-served due to the brewing length. Doug can only enjoy so many beers and still function while the coffee brews for 18 hours.