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 flavourings or spirits. This is quickly done by adding modifiers to the coffee or milk and mixing it before pouring.

I use espresso and instant coffee as faster ways of creating coffee drinks on the spot by utilizing the espresso’s concentrated coffee aroma. 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 removes the coffee’s sweetness and acidity, but the wait time is around 10-15 hours for the entire infusion. If you don’t want to wait that long, the other alternative is to use the Japanese cold coffee brew – brew directly over ice; it may become your new favourite way of enjoying cold coffee.

Cold Coffee Recipes

Frappe

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

The Frappe, which I enjoy especially in the summer, is the Greek variation, which is extremely popular in Greece, Cyprus, and worldwide. It was invented by accident in 1957 by Dimitris Vakonadis during the International Trade Fair in Thessaloniki, Greece.

Greek Coffee Frappe

We need the same ingredients as in Dalgona coffee to make Greek-style Frappe.

• Instant coffee
• Sugar has 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) refers to using milk in the recipes—1 or 2 tbsp evaporated milk.
• Cold water

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

In a tall cold glass, add:

• Two 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 seconds, depending on the foam you are after or the equipment used.

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

The best frappe coffees have 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. It is essentially a virgin espresso martini served on rocks. The drink, also known as Caffè Shakerato, is 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 before shaking.

Shake the coffee with some 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 difficulty opening the shaker if you use a 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 before 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 ice until stiff foam forms. Instead of a shaker, a frappe mixer or milk frother can be used. Slowly pour the milk foam on top of the espresso. Sprinkle with chocolate or cinnamon powder.

Freddo Flat White

In some places, it is also known as Freddo Latte. These two coffees are similar; some might say they are the same drink. If we go 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 the coffee well 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.

Cold Brew Coffee Recipes

We will need cold-brew solid coffee to make these recipes. I usually make it in two ways.

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 taste; my preferred one is 1:4, 1 cup of coffee to 4 cups of cold-filtered water. If the coffee is too strong, try 1:8.
The slow infusion removes all the coffee aroma, resulting in a delicious, smooth, and sweet-tasting beverage.

Coffee can also be prepared in the French press. Add the coffee and water to the media 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 available brewing equipment and a large enough carafe to contain the ice and the brewed coffee.

The method of preparation will depend on the brewing equipment. This recipe is for two 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 flavours from the grounds.
5. Reg. The amount of water—if needed—is 16 oz brew; use only 8 oz, as the rest comes from the ice.

• Set a dripper cone on top of a carafe.
• Line with a paper filter. Use a little 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 30 seconds.
• 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 unsure 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 for it 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 flavour I’m expecting to enjoy.

I prefer the Japanese cold brew method.

• We are still using hot water to extract the flavours in the Japanese-style cold brew, but the extracted coffee is poured over ice right away, which helps preserve its aroma and taste. We use flash-chilling to maintain the flavour as in the hot brew coffee.

To sum it up, if I were 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

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

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 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 called a phin. It is a small metal filter on top of the glass holding the ground coffee, through which water is poured to extract the coffee.
   – Vietnamese coffee is always served with condensed milk

Condensed milk

Condensed milk is essential to achieving Thai and Vietnamese coffee’s desired texture and taste. 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 or replacing it with regular milk.

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. Still, if you know the base idea/recipes for making cold coffees, you can explore new flavour combinations and hopefully have enjoyable experiences.

Flavored Iced Coffee

This is a base recipe for many other flavoured coffees; you only have to change the flavour 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.

Two 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 before 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 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 little difference between flavoured frappes and milkshakes.
   

Cold Brew Iced Mocha

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

Flavored Syrup ideas

The limit is confined only to one’s imagination.

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