It is possible that the only thing better than coffee is iced coffee. Coffee lovers everywhere enjoy their brew so much, that an entire industry has been built on making creative new coffee drinks.
Everything we love about the hot pick-me-up is amplified when you turn it into a cool, refreshing treat. Improving on coffee is an art unto itself.
From cooling techniques to topping choices and more, there are thousands of ways to serve a great iced coffee. It’s best to start with the basics, and build up from there with experimentation and variation.
Learn about best Sumatra coffee brands here. We are sharing how to make iced coffee below:
Is Iced Coffee Just Coffee?
The core of any coffee drink is (obviously) the coffee. Choose your favorite flavored beans if you like. Whether you cool down a hot brew, or just cold brew it in the first place, is a matter of taste.
Instant coffee also makes an excellent choice for the basis of an iced coffee. The concentrated flavor comes through strongly, so it can be added to your base-brew for extra caffeine and coffee flavor.
Instant coffees also come in a variety of flavors, so it’s possible to enhance or blend your flavors in the first step of the iced coffee making process.
Chill Out – Iced Coffee Recipe
Next up, you have another obvious ingredient. Ice doesn’t have to be boring. You can freeze creamer or coffee to intensify the flavor of your basic drink even further.
Get creative with vanilla bean or cinnamon extract in your cubes. There is also the question of whether to pour your java over the ice, or add both to a blender for an ultra creamy frozen dessert. You can even swap out your ice and replace it with ice cream or sherbet, if you don’t mind the calories.
Expand Your Horizons
It may seem unnecessary to some, but every iced coffee connoisseur knows you need to add flavoring to your drink for the best experience. Basic chocolate or caramel sauce will do the trick.
You can elevate your iced coffee to the next level with flavor shots that are designed for making Italian sodas. These come in every possible choice of fruit, or other sweet you might imagine. You can make a chocolate raspberry iced coffee if you want it. The possibilities are (almost) endless.
With A Cherry On Top
The perfect iced coffee drink should have a topping (or six). Most people default to the whipped cream option. That is a fine start, but you can do better.
From cherries to candies and cookies, or sauces and sprinkles, what gives your iced coffee that final magic touch is the way it looks when you first pick it up.
Give it a candy cane, or a whimsical paper umbrella, or maybe try out a dusting of edible glitter for something truly unique.
Final Thoughts
Iced coffee should never be dull or uninspired. It is the one area of adulthood where fun is a standard part of the package.
You can make a caramel, mocha, butterscotch, vanilla, Crème Brule-flavored monstrosity, with an epic tower of toppings to rival even the most ridiculous coffee shop creation, as long as you make it a fun experience. Take it to the limit, and then add sprinkles!
