When the weather is hot, many coffee drinkers turn to iced coffee. Over the past 5 to 10 years as iced coffee beverages have gained a lot of popularity. Just look at menus in coffee houses to fast food restaurants.
According to the National Coffee Association, the percentage of Americans who drink iced coffee beverages increased substantially over recent years. Following the popularity of espresso drinks like cappuccinos and lattes, people are discovering that coffee is just as tasty and very refreshing when served on ice.
Iced coffee can can be really easy to prepare. Plus, there are some added touches you can add that can help you shake up your coffee drink a bit. A variety of options, such as flavoring syrups, cold milk, chocolate and spices, allow you to create personalized coffee concoctions that are just as delicious as those served in your favorite coffee spot.
Beverages such as iced mocha, cinnamon iced coffee and iced vanilla latte are easy to make at home.
4 tips for refreshing iced coffee drinks
Pour the sugar, flavoring syrup or other sweetener into the cup first. To complete the drink, pour in espresso or coffee, then the ice, and top it off with cold milk, cream or other lightener.- Don’t let your iced coffee become watered down. When making your iced coffee be sure you make the coffee strong enough. Generally, it is recommended to make your coffee twice as strong when on ice. To account for the melting ice, you might want to make your coffee twice as strong and throw in an extra tablespoon for good measure. Or if you are feeling ambitious and have the space in your freezer, cool your favorite coffee beverage with ice cubes made from fresh-brewed coffee instead of water.
- Start with high quality coffee or espresso. This seems like an obvious point, but it shouldn’t be overlooked. There are a wide variety of ways to produce quality coffee. It has to do with your beans, your brewing method and other variables (this could be a whole series of posts). Find which suits you and use that quality coffee as a base for your iced coffee.
- Be creative. Experiment. Have fun. It sounds corny, but if you have fun with this and experiment you will notice that you create better tasting coffee drinks. It’s just like cooking. Happy chefs tend to make better food. Add a personalized touch to your iced coffee beverages with whipped cream, chocolate shavings, nutmeg or cinnamon. You will discover different flavor combinations. You will notice subtle flavor differences based on how much of each ingredient you use. Be open minded. I never thought I would enjoy a mocha Valencia flavored coffee (orange and chocolate), but I tried it and found that I love it.
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