Why Cold Brew Coffee Is The Best Variety To Enjoy Frozen

It's summer, which means it's time for ice cream treats and making popsicles. If you've ever considered making a caffeinated coffee-filled popsicle to replace your daily morning coffee during the hot months, then you're not alone. And, as it turns out, cold brew might be the secret to making the best homemade frozen coffee treats. The reason for this, Giorgio Milos, an Italian barista, told CNN, is that cold brew has a "smooth flavor, slight sweetness, and notes of caramel [that] yield the best taste." It's hard to argue with that!

But what is it that makes cold brew taste different from hot coffee? As it turns out, why cold brew is so popular and tastes so good comes down to how it is made. As the name suggests, cold brew is never exposed to hot water and is instead steeped overnight in a process that takes 12-24 hours. This process extracts less acidity from the coffee beans and makes the end product smoother and less bitter.

Besides its smoother flavor, cold brew is the best coffee variety for freezing because this coffee was made specifically to be served cold. On the other hand, regular drip coffee was made to be served hot as it goes through a different chemical reaction during the brewing process. According to Business Insider, when brewed in hot water, the flavor of coffee is strong but more short-term as the important oils that make a cup of joe so flavorful start evaporating at higher temperatures. This is why hot coffee can taste stale after about an hour as it is allowed to cool to room temperature.

On the other hand, while cold brew also loses its flavor over time, the evaporation process is much slower. In fact, homemade cold brew coffee can keep its flavor in the fridge for at least a week. This means your cold brew coffee won't start to taste stale while it cools and is frozen like hot brewed coffee would. 

That's not to say that you can't use hot brewed coffee to make popsicles; making popsicles is an excellent way to use leftover drip coffee to prevent waste. However, you might want to add some condensed milk or cream to the hot coffee popsicles to help liven up the flavor and eliminate any leftover staleness.

The first step to making frozen coffee treats is to make your cold brew by adding 1 part ground coffee to 8 parts water to a sealable container and letting it sit in the fridge for at least 12 hours. When complete, strain the coffee through a filter and enjoy your beautiful batch of cold brew.

Once the coffee is ready, there are plenty of options for delicious frozen coffee treats. Giorgio Milos recommends a traditional Italian granita, a frozen shaved ice coffee dessert. Mix your cold brew with cream or condensed milk, then freeze it in popsicle molds for deliciously caffeinated ice pops. Flavored simple syrups and coffee creamers are great additions to cold brew ice pops and can add an extra punch of sweet and refreshing flavor to your day. These popsicles make great poolside snacks or work-from-home morning luxuries, but no matter when you eat them, we are sure they will be enjoyed!