Cold-Brewed Coffee

Today my sister and I stopped for coffee at a local shop. She ordered an iced hazelnut coffee with skim milk, but not before asking if it was roasted with hazelnuts or if there was hazelnut syrup in it (she's very health-concious). The answer: roasted.

When she tried the coffee however, she noted how strong it was, and even sweet. She handed it to me to try. "Are you sure there isn't sugar in this?" I tasted it and I knew it was cold-brewed. I was reminded of a great article I read in the NYT a while back about just this; coffee brewed cold so that it does not dilute in ice, or even become bitter like a hot brew. The lack of bitterness actually allows the coffee's natural sweetness to come out as well. You can even freeze the final cold-brewed coffee mixture into ice cubes so that it doesn't dilute if you want to put a few cubes in your cup in the morning.

So inspired, I looked up the article for you all.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/27/dining/27coff.html

And here's the recipe.

1/3 cup ground coffee (medium-coarse grind is best)
Milk (optional).

1. In a jar, stir together coffee and 1 1/2 cups water. Cover and let rest at room temperature overnight or 12 hours.

2. Strain twice through a coffee filter, a fine-mesh sieve or a sieve lined with cheesecloth. In a tall glass filled with ice, mix equal parts coffee concentrate and water, or to taste. If desired, add milk.

Yield: Two drinks.

NOTE: To make hot coffee, dilute concentrate one-to-one with water and heat in the microwave.