Cold Brew Coffee

Cold brew coffee is less acidic than coffee that requires brewing with hot water, and is therefore sweeter. But here’s the real kicker: decaffeinated cold brew coffee can taste just as good as caffeinated, if you use the right beans. Coarsely ground, organic, dark French roast, Swiss Water Processed (SWP) decaf is what we use here at Now That’s Vegan! You can And we make it in a french press. The decaffeinated coffee that you find in most grocery stores are processed with chemical solvents, but most health food stores carry organic SWP beans. And with this natural decaffeination method, the beans don’t loose their flavor. Know, however, that decaffeinated drinks still contain slight amounts of caffeine, so you may want to drink moderate amounts or opt for an herbal tea that has no caffeine.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup coarsely ground Allegro Organic French Roast Coffee Beans, or other brand
• Filtered water

Directions:

1. Add the ground coffee to a 32oz. French press.
2. Fill with filtered water. Mix well.
3. Insert plunger, but don’t press down. Let sit on a countertop overnight to steep.
4. In the morning, press down on the plunger, pour yourself a full cup, and enjoy. Stores refrigerated in a glass pitcher with a tight fitting lid for up to 3 days.

Variations:

1. Since cold brew coffee is a strong concentrate, you can add ice to your cup, which will make it only slightly diluted; not like watered-down iced-coffee. You can also add hot water to the concentrate, if you prefer hot coffee.
2. To make your coffee sweet, mix in stevia to taste.
3. Add a store-bought nondairy creamer or make and use our recipe for Nondairy Milk Creamer.
4. Make it Mocha. Just place in a jar 3/4 cup cold brew coffee, 1/4 cup nondairy milk creamer, and 1 teaspoon Chocolate Sauce. Stir until well blended, or add a few ice cubes and a tight fitting lid to then shake for 1 minute or more. Taste. If it’s not sweet enough, mix in a little stevia.
5. For a coffee float, add a scoop or two of Nondairy Vanilla Ice Cream into the glass, pour in enough cold brew coffee to cover, and serve with a spoon.

Yield:
Makes 1 (32oz) craft or 4 to 6 servings.