Cold-Brewed Iced Coffee

I live approximately 40 billion miles away from a Starbucks, we all know this. I much prefer cold coffee drinks to warm ones. Up until today I didn't know how to get past these facts of life. Every time I'd attempted iced coffee from a cooled down pot of that morning's brew I'd just end up disgusted.

Then this New York Times article showed me the way.

Two weeks later, back in Brooklyn, I saw a sign: “Cold-Brewed Iced Coffee Served Here.” Fine, then. I threw down two bucks and took a sip. Though it pains me to admit, the difference was considerable. Without the bitterness produced by hot water, the cold-brewed coffee had hints of chocolate, even caramel. I dropped my sugar packet — no need for it. The best brews hardly need cream. It really is the kind of thing a gentleman might spend five days in hot-coffee solitary confinement for.

They ain't kidding. This stuff is liquid gold. Thine eyes have seen the light.

Here's how you do it:

1/3 cup of your favorite ground coffee
1 1/2 cups water

Mix that up in a jar, cover, and let sit at room temperature for 8-12 hours. When the time is up strain it through a mesh sieve with a coffee filter in the bottom. Mix equal parts coffee and milk over ice. Feel free to add sugar, syrup, whatever. Store the extra in your fridge.

(I doubled this recipe when I brewed mine.)

Heaven. It's simply heaven. I might not ever leave home for Starbucks again.