This post builds on the basic information in my previous cold brew post with more recipes and preparation ideas.

With Cream and Sugar

• 2 oz. cold brew concentrate
• 6 oz. water
• 1/2 oz. simple syrup
• 1/2 oz. heavy or whipping cream

For a hot beverage, heat everything except the cream to about 160° F, then add the cream and enjoy. For a cold beverage, mix everything together with ice.

Extra Creamy

For an extra creamy cup, substitute unsweetened almond milk for water in the “Cream and Sugar” recipe. I don’t enjoy the flavor of hot almond milk, so I prefer to put this variant on ice.

Caffe Latte

The essential structure of the drink is cold brew concentrate (replacing the espresso shot in a traditional latte), sweetener, flavorings, and frothed milk. These ratios work well for me:

• 2 oz. cold brew concentrate
• One of the following flavor options:
  • 1/2 oz. simple syrup with 1/2 teaspoon vanilla or hazelnut extract
  • -OR- 1/2 oz. flavored syrup (e.g. Torani or Monin)
• 6 oz. frothed milk

Any milk that can be frothed should work. Cow’s milk is a classic; almond milk also works well for cold beverages. If the almond milk contains sweetener, reduce the added sweetener as necessary. I highly recommend the Breville Milk Cafe for frothing milk; the cheap, hand-held whisks are too messy, and steamer wands are usually attached to bulky espresso machines.

For a hot beverage, heat everything except the milk in the microwave for about 45 seconds; I aim for just over 160° F, measured with a temperature gun. Froth the milk, then pour the frothed milk into the flavored hot coffee concentrate.

For a cold beverage, skip the heating step and add ice at the end.

Blended Caffe Latte

With the Milk Cafe, one can froth the cold brew and flavorings together with the milk; the result is a light, coffee-flavored milk froth that can be enjoyed hot or cold. One could probably get a similar effect with a blender.