The summer weather is here and, on a hot afternoon, an icy cold Cold Brew coffee is sure to please. With only your favourite Muskoka Roastery blend and a few household items, you can make your very own in a flash! … well, 12-24 hours.

Cold Brew, which is not to be confused with iced coffee, uses filtered water, coarsely ground coffee and time to extract all the coffee goodness from the beans. So, while it may take longer to prepare than your regular iced coffee, the results are well worth it – it’s incredibly smooth, less acidic and less bitter than traditional iced!

French Press Method

An easy way to make Cold Brew at home is to use your French Press.

1. Grind up your beans! Typically we recommend a 4:1 water to coffee ratio. (So, for example, four cups of water to one cup of coarsely ground Lumberjack beans.)
2. Add the grinds to your French Press.
3. Using cold filtered water make sure coffee is fully saturated.
4. Put the plunger aside for later, cover your French Press and place it in the fridge for twelve to twenty-four hours.
5. When time’s up, plunge the French Press and enjoy!

Filter Method

Another Cold Brewing option is to use any sort of standard container (pitcher, mason jar, etc) and a filter.

1. Grind your beans. For this method, it’s increasingly important to stick to a coarse grind to ensure you can properly filter the Cold Brew once ready to drink.
2. Add the grinds to your container (using the same 4:1 ratio as suggested for French Press).
3. Add filtered water and stir until beans are fully saturated.
4. Cover your container and stick it in the fridge for a quick twelve to twenty-four hours.
5. It’s time to filter! Options for filtration can include cheese cloth, mesh, a fine colander, pour over cloth filters, paper coffee filters, nylon stockings … Really, the possibilities are endless, and you should already have something in your house that will work.

“Tea Bag” Method

Our last Cold Brewing technique involves creating a homemade tea bag to infuse the coffee.

1. Grind your beans. Continue to stick to a coarse grind.
2. Fill your container with filtered water. (Same 4:1 ratio as with previous methods)
3. Construct your tea bag. You can use a paper coffee filter, a nut bag (the kind used for making almond milk at home), cheese cloth or really anything that will allow water to steep the coffee without letting grounds escape into the brew.
4. Drop your constructed bag into the water and let rest for twelve to twenty-four hours.
5. Remove the tea bag and enjoy!