How do I make good cold drinks for hot weather?
Infusions, cold brews and syrups that make water and tea interesting without a lot of sugar.
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Time
- 20 min
- Read
- 2 min
Short answer
Cold brew everything — tea, coffee and fruit infusions all extract cleanly in cold water over several hours with no bitterness. Then add acid and something aromatic rather than more sugar.
Hot brewing extracts bitter compounds along with the good ones, which is why iced tea made from hot tea often tastes harsh. Cold extraction avoids them entirely and needs only time.
What you'll need
- Jug
- Fridge space
- Fresh herbs and citrus (optional)
- Tea or coffee (optional)
Step by step
- Cold brew tea rather than chilling hot tea.Tea leaves in cold water in the fridge for six to twelve hours. It extracts smoothly with almost no bitterness or astringency.
- Cold brew coffee the same way.Coarse grounds in cold water for 12-18 hours, then strain. The result is a concentrate to dilute with water, milk or tonic.
- Infuse water with fruit and herbs.Cucumber and mint, strawberry and basil, citrus and rosemary. Bruise the herbs, leave a few hours, and remove the solids before they go soft.
- Make a simple syrup you can flavour.Equal sugar and water, with herbs, ginger or spices steeped in while warm. It lets you sweeten cold drinks, where granulated sugar will not dissolve.
- Add acid.Lemon, lime, or a splash of vinegar-based shrub. Acid is what makes a cold drink refreshing rather than merely sweet.
- Freeze fruit or herbs into ice cubes.The drink improves as they melt rather than getting weaker. Coffee ice cubes for iced coffee are the clearest example.
- Use plenty of ice and chill everything first.The same principle as any cold drink — cold ingredients plus lots of ice means less melting and less dilution.
- Make it the night before.Cold brewing needs hours. Setting it up in the evening means it is ready when you want it rather than an hour later.
Tips
- Cold brew coffee is far less acidic than hot brewed and keeps for a week in the fridge, which makes it very practical for summer.
- Sparkling water plus a spoonful of flavoured syrup and a squeeze of citrus makes a better soft drink than almost anything bought.
- Remove herbs and citrus from infusions after a few hours. Left in, they turn bitter and the drink deteriorates.
Common mistakes
- Making iced tea by chilling hot tea — Hot brewing extracts tannins that taste harsh when cold. Cold brewing avoids them entirely.
- Leaving citrus and herbs in an infusion overnight — Pith and bruised herbs turn bitter. Remove them after a few hours.
- Trying to sweeten a cold drink with granulated sugar — It does not dissolve and sits at the bottom. A syrup made in advance is the answer.
Questions people ask
How do I make iced tea that is not bitter?
Cold brew it — tea leaves in cold water in the fridge for six to twelve hours. Hot brewing extracts tannins that taste harsh once chilled.
How long does cold brew coffee keep?
The concentrate keeps about a week refrigerated in a sealed container, which is much of its practical appeal. Dilute it as you serve rather than in advance.