Cold brewed coffee attempt 1!

There is nothing better to cool you down in the summer than iced coffee. I mean, there are other ways, but none that give back as much as iced coffee does. You simply take a sip, and you are whisked away on a chilly trip to flavor town. See? Iced coffee wins. Summer may be coming to an end here in Cleveland - although I did hear that it is supposed to be in the 90's tomorrow, which excites me... but that doesn't mean the iced coffee has to end.

A little preview of what is to come! Iced coffee in mason jars, nothing can beat it. But first a quick story.

My love for iced coffee began in the hot summer months in Athens, Georgia. I was a freshman in college and I had just completed my first day of rush. If anyone has ever rushed at a southern school, you'll understand. If you haven't, let me paint you a quick picture.

All the girls in the dorm try to get up earlier than they think anyone else will (wer're talking 5am and earlier), so they can shower, plug in their hair straighteners/curling irons, and get some mirror space. Then it's time to pick the perfect dress and do your make up - the holy grail is looking like you're not wearing any make up while still covering all imperfections. And then everyone is off! Strutting their stuff down sorority row, visiting the different houses and hoping that they will say or do something that impresses the girls and gets them called back for round 2. Not exactly my cup of tea...or coffee, to stick with our theme here.

After 2 days of this, I couldn't figure out why I was spending so much time on things I hated doing (showering, putting on make up, and dressing up for girls are all things I try to avoid), all just to pay lots of money for girl friends I didn't necessarily want - yet would have to call them a "sister" for the rest of my life. And that was the end of rush for me! I had a friend that felt similarly, so we took off our heels, shook out our hair, and walked barefoot into town in search of some relief from the scorching summer sun.

And there it was, Jittery Joe's Coffee.

Funky music, people who looked like they might need a shower, and the delicious smell of coffee beckoning me inside. My adoration of coffee hadn't begun yet, so I was ignorant to all of their offerings. I picked an iced coffee from Ethiopia simply because I couldn't possibly drink hot coffee at the moment - and I love the word Ethiopia. It reminds me of the word Utopia, and the thought of a place filled with all of my favorite things excites me. And yes, there would be mermaids.

Anyways, I took my first sip from the straw and was blown away. I asked the barista if the beans were flavored or if she had added anything to it. She laughed (ok, scoffed) and walked away saying "welcome to real coffee".

And that was that. My coffee world was changed. I savored every sip and tried to make that iced coffee last as long as possible. The flavors that were coming through amazed me, hints of blueberry and apricots, nothing like the hints of burning I was used to.

So now, many years of coffee drinking later, I have finally decided to master iced coffee. I learned long ago that if you want hot coffee, brew it hot. If you want cold coffee, brew it cold. If you don't stick to this, the flavor will change with every temperature change you inflict on the beans. I never listened until now. For iced coffee in the past, I always just brewed coffee hot and extra strong, and then stuck a bunch of ice in it. Fail. If you do this, please stop, it physically pains me.

Gather these items:
- a glass (or plastic) jug that can carry about 15 cups of water (3-4 Liters)
- 1 pound of coffee beans, freshly ground (any roast you like, I prefer light roasts at the moment)
- 10 cups of filtered cold water (room temperature will work as well, just not warm or hot)
- a piece of cheesecloth big enough to fit the pound of ground coffee beans in it
- 24 hours of patience (most important item for sure!)

There's my $7 glass jar from Marc's. And my $18 pound of Ethiopian Yirgacheffe from Rising Star Coffee Roasters. 

Then you grind the beans - I need to graduate to a burr grinder, I'm still using a spice grinder and the whole shake-and-grind-for-3-seconds-then-pause-for-3-seconds-so-the-beans-don't-get-hot method. This method won't give an even grind, but it gets the job done.

There they are! Now it's time for the grounds to hang out in the cheesecloth for a few hours...I tell myself "a few" so I don't have to think about waiting 24 whole hours, I'm not nearly that patient.

This is how I set mine up. A large square piece of cheesecloth put into my glass jug, with a hair tie holding it on the edges for easy removal. So MacGyver of me, I know.

I hope so bad someone invents smell-o-vision soon. A deep breath in while my face was hovering above the jar was like some kind of iced coffee foreplay. Yum.

Then the 10 cups of filtered water get added in, right on top of the grounds. Give them a quick stir to make sure they are all saturated, and leave them to their soaking. Then, I suggest putting them out of sight. You know how the saying goes - out of sight, out of mind. 24 hours will come sooner than you think!

And then, just when you think you couldn't wait any longer, it's time! Yesss, finally! 

Fill up a cup (I prefer a mason jar) to the top with ice, and halfway up with your iced coffee concentrate. The other half can be milk, soy milk, almond milk...maybe a little chocolate sauce?! Whatever you feel will make your iced coffee best. Most people prefer a full cup of ice, and then a ratio of 1 part coffee concentrate with 2-3 parts of water/milk/almond milk. These days I'm sticking to 2 parts coffee, 1 part water...I like my caffeine buzz to be nice and strong :).

If I do choose milk, I like the unsweetened vanilla almond milk by Blue Diamond. One day I'll try my luck at making my own, just not today. 

**I didn't do this the first time, but I suggest pouring your coffee concentrate through a pour over with a coffee filter in it and your jug that you will keep in the fridge until your concentrate is gone. With mine, I had a little sediment at the bottom that snuck through the cheesecloth. I don't mind a dirty cup of coffee, but some people do.