Iced Coffee Drinks and Ideas

Iced coffee drinks are refreshing beverages suitable for any time during the year.
The recipes here can be used as a base for adding additional flavorings or spirits, and it is easily done by adding modifiers to the coffee or milk and mixing it prior to pouring.

I use espresso and instant coffee as a faster way of creating coffee drinks on the spot, by utilizing the espresso’s concentrated coffee aroma and for the Frappe, instant coffee is the only option due to the manufacturing process and the foam it helps create.

Another option for people who don’t like espresso or instant coffee is cold-brew coffee. This method brings the sweetness and the acidity out of the coffee, but the wait time is around 10-15 hours for the full infusion to take place. If you don’t want to wait that long, the other alternative is to use the Japanese style of cold coffee brew – brew it directly over ice, it may become your new favorite way of enjoying cold coffee.

Cold Coffee Recipes

Frappe

Frappe (frappé) comes from the French language and means drink prepared with ice. Coffee frappe is defined as a drink made with coffee and ice, some of them are close in texture to iced coffees, and some to slashes. It all depends on which country you are in.

The Frappe, which I enjoy having especially in the summer, is the Greek variation, which is extremely popular, not just in Greece and Cyprus but also around the world. it was invented by accident in 1957 by Dimitris Vakonadis during the International Trade Fair in Thessaloniki, Greece.

Greek Coffee Frappe

To make Greek-style Frappe we need the same ingredients as in Dalgona coffee.

• Instant coffee
• Sugar – there are three different styles/names, based on the amount of sugar.
  • Sketos – no sugar
  • Metrios (medium) – 1-2 teaspoons sugar
  • Glykos (sweet) – 2-4 teaspoons sugar
  • Me gala” (with milk) – it refers to the use of milk as part of the recipes – 1 or 2 tbsp evaporated milk.
• Cold water

The goal is to create a coffee foam, not as thick as in Dalgona, and therefore the amount of time and effort is much shorter. The easiest way is to use a shaker, a milk frother, or a frappe mixer.

In a tall cold glass add:

• 2 teaspoons of instant coffee
• 2 teaspoons of sugar – if desired
• 1 oz cold water

Shake or mix until you get a nice foam about 15-30 sec depending on the foam you are after, or on the equipment used.

• Add 2-3 ice cubes.
• Pour the mixture into the serving glass.
• Add a little bit of milk -optional.
• Fill up the glass with cold water and serve with a drinking straw – the foam will stay longer if drinking with a straw.

The best frappe coffees are considered to be those with the smallest bubbles and a foam thickness of about 1.5 to 2 inches (30 to 50 mm).

Freddo Espresso

Espresso iced coffee is very popular in Greece and Cyprus. Basically, a virgin espresso martini served on rocks. The drink is also known as Caffè Shakerato, usually served in a cocktail glass.

1 Double espresso
– 18-20 grams input – taking out about 40-45 grams of espresso
Optional – add sweetener of choice prior to shaking.

Shake the coffee with a little bit of ice and strain it over ice in a rock glass. Instead of a shaker, one can use a frappe mixer or milk frother.
Note: before shaking, make sure the coffee is cooled down, otherwise you will have a hard time opening the shaker if you use two parts shaker.

The espresso foam, similar to Dalgona foam, can be mixed with many other syrups and drinks such as;

• vanilla, caramel, chocolate syrup, lemon zest, hazelnut, etc.
• Bailys, Sambuca, Kahlua, Frangelico, or any other spirit of choice.

Freddo Cappuccino

Freddo Espresso over ice and milk is the cold version of cappuccino.

1 Double espresso
Optional – add sweetener prior to mixing
4 oz 3.25% milk -or milk of choice

Chill the espresso and strain it into a tall glass. Shake or froth the milk with a little bit of ice until you get stiff foam. Instead of a shaker, one can use a frappe mixer or milk frother. Pour the milk foam slowly on top of the espresso. Sprinkle with chocolate or cinnamon powder.

Freddo Flat White

In some places is also known as Freddo Latte. These two coffees are very similar and some might say they are the same drink. If we are going by their hot versions; the Flat white is smaller than the latte in volume, 6oz vs 10oz, and has less microfoam on top.

1 Double espresso
– 18-20 grams input – taking out about 40-45 grams of espresso
4 oz 3.25% milk -or milk of choice

Start by making Fredo Espresso.
– Shake well the coffee with a little bit of ice or instead of a shaker, one can use a milkshake mixer or frother
Pour the milk into a tall glass and layer the espresso foam on top.

Cold Brew Coffee Recipes

In order to make these recipes, we will need strong cold brew coffee. Here are two ways I usually make them.

Cold Brew Infusion

1. Grind the coffee coarsely or buy it from the local store.
2. Combine the grounds with water, then let it steep overnight in the fridge, usually around 12-15 hours.
3. Strain in and enjoy it over ice black or mix with milk.

The ratio of coffee to water is up to your personal taste, my preferred one is 1:4, 1 cup of coffee to 4 cups of gold filtered water. If the coffee is too strong, try the 1:8, coffee to water.
The slow infusion process pulls out all the coffee aroma and it results in a delicious, smooth, and sweet-tasting beverage.

Coffee can also be prepared in the French press. Add the coffee and water to the press, and let it infuse for 12-15 hours. After that press, the coffee grounds down and strain them. Once it is strained, store it in the refrigerator for later use.

Japanese Cold Brew Coffee^

Japanese iced coffee is simply coffee brewed with hot water, directly onto ice. Use any of your available brewing equipment and a large enough carafe to contain the ice and the brewed coffee.

How to make it will depend on the brewing equipment. This recipe is for 2 coffees using a drip method. Scale down if needed.

1. 60g – 2oz coffee beans (medium-coarse roast of choice). 
2. 300g – 10 oz of ice
3. 600 – 20 oz hot water 
4. Boiling water around (195-205ºF), higher than that will over-extract flavors from the grounds.
5. Reg. the amount of water – if needed is 16 oz brew, use only 8 oz of water as the rest comes from the ice.

• Set a dripper cone on top of a carafe.
• Line with a paper filter. Use a little bit of water to pre-wet the coffee filter and discard the water from the carafe.
• Place ice in the carafe
• Place the ground coffee beans into a filter
• Pour a couple of ounces of water over them, until wet, and let them bloom for 30sec.
• Pour slowly in a circular motion with the rest of the water
• Once the water is fully drained, discard the filter
• Enjoy the coffee right away – straight up or over the ice.

Note: If using an electric coffee brewer: turn off the warming plate.
If using Keurig, I added 4-5 large ice cubes into 15 oz heat-proof glass, and I set the size of the brew to just before the largest one, the brewing temp was set to 195 degrees Fahrenheit.
When not sure how much coffee you need, use the ratio of 1:8, coffee to water, and add only half of the water, the rest will come from the melting ice.

There is another way to make cold coffee, it is done by making hot coffee and waiting to cool down or pouring it directly over ice, which may work if one is in a hurry, but the resulting brew, for me anyway, luck some of the bright coffee flavor I’m expecting to enjoy.

I personally prefer the Japanese cold brew method.

• We are still using hot water to extract the flavors in the Japanese-style cold brew, but the extracted coffee being poured over ice right away helps preserve all the coffee aroma and taste. In essence, we are using flash-chilling to preserve the flavor as in the hot brew coffee.

To sum it up, if I was to choose which way to make my cold brew coffee, I would go first with;

1. Japanese style – hot brew over ice.
2. Cold brew – Use cold filtered water chilled overnight in the fridge.
3. Hot brew

Thai Coffee

To make traditional Thai coffee we will need a specific type of infused coffee. The one I have and use is a blend of coffee, corn, soybeans, and sesame seeds. If you cannot find one, add 1-2 teaspoons of your choice of ground spices (cardamom, almond, etc.) to the coffee before brewing, or just use whatever plain roast you have in hand.

From that point, brew the coffee using the equipment you have. To make it more authentic, try the recipe below.

Differences between Thai and Vietnamese coffee.

1. Thai coffee is brewed using a filter called a tungdtom or a coffee sock filter. This filter is basically a cotton bag attached to a metal handle.
   – Originally Thai coffee was served black.
   
2. Vietnamese iced coffee is traditionally brewed with a special French drip filter that is called a phin. It is a small metal filter on top of the glass, holding the ground coffee and through which the water is poured to extract the coffee.
   – Vietnamese coffee is always served with condensed milk

Condensed milk

Condensed milk is an important part of achieving the desired texture and taste of Thai and Vietnamese coffee. If you find it too sweet or rich for your taste, there are a few options to modify the condensed milk by adding evaporated milk to it or replacing it with regular milk altogether.

Mix condensed milk in the following ratios to reduce the level of sweetness: Premix it and store it in the fridge when needed

• 2:1 – 2 parts of condensed milk to one part of evaporated milk
• 1:1 – even parts of condensed milk and evaporated milk

Iced Coffee Drinks – Base Recipe

There are so many recipes out there that it is virtually impossible to cover all of them, but if you know the base idea/recipes of how to make cold coffees, you are all set to explore new flavor combinations and hopefully have enjoyable experiences.

Flavored Iced Coffee

This is a base recipe for many other flavored coffees, the only thing you have to change is the flavor modifiers/syrups and the type of coffee (espresso or cold brew).
Always use strong coffee, as the lower temperatures influence the perceived strength of the aroma.

2 shots of espresso
4 oz of milk
1 oz syrup of choice
A few ice cubes
Note: There are three ways of serving this drink.

1. Pour the coffee over ice, add the milk, and stir. Drizzle the syrup on top or swirl it inside the glass prior to pouring the coffee. If the espresso is hot, use a heat-resistant glass.
   
2. Shake all ingredients and serve over ice in a tall glass. If espresso is hot, wait a little bit until it cools down before shaking.
   
3. Frappe. Blend all the ingredients with ice and pour them directly into the glass. From that point, the next step is the milkshakes; sometimes there is not much difference between flavored frappes and milkshakes.
   

Cold Brew Iced Mocha

4 oz cold brew coffee
2 oz condensed milk
1 oz Chocolate Syrup
Mix everything together and pour over ice in a tall glass.
Another way to serve it is to add the condensed milk, and ice, and then pour coffee and chocolate syrup on top.

Flavored Syrup ideas

The limit is confined only by one’s imagination.

• Vanilla extract
• Mint
• Coconut milk
• Almond syrup/extract
• Liquid ice cream
• Chocolate syrup
• Kalua, Bailey’s, Creme de Cacao