There’s nothing better than sitting outdoors, soaking up the hot summer sun with a refreshing iced latte, or watching the summer sunset with a coffee based cocktail. When it’s just too warm to drink hot coffee; something cool and delicious is required to hit the spot.
Although we’re fans of hot coffee all year long, our cold coffee recipes are the perfect addition to any summer beach trip, BBQ, or outdoor adventure.
Before you start experimenting, note that many of these recipes call for cold brew or a cold brew concentrate. Easy to make at home, cold brew coffee is often brewed in a cold brew coffee maker using cold or room temperature water, and is steeped for 12+ hours. It is surprisingly versatile, and there’s almost no limits as to how creatively you can use it.
Here’s the simplest way to make a cold brew at home:
Cold brew can be stored in the fridge for up to two weeks, so it’s easy to make a big batch and use it for any of these recipes.
Now that we have that part taken care of, let’s cool down and kick back and try these 5 summer iced coffee drinks at home…
Nut milks are an excellent addition to coffee as they are so flavourful, creamy and possesses a huge range to suit all tastes. Almond milk in particular really stands out in an iced coffee. It makes for a delicious summer drink thanks to its toasty and nutty flavour with a hint of sweetness.
Here’s how to make an iced almond milk-based latte for the ultimate summer coffee/nut milk combo drink:
Not feeling a milky drink and want something a little lighter instead? Switch out that milk with your favourite bubbly water and you’ve got a fizzy, extra-caffeinated alternative to classic soda. Get creative and add your own homemade summer-y flavoured syrup (try a lavender or a basil infused one).
Mix up the coffee and syrup, then top with tonic water and ice for the ultimate refreshing summer drink.
There are lots of variations on exactly how to make this coffee-based martini. The original version had two types of coffee liqueur and simple syrup. Our version is much simpler, and it uses ingredients you most likely already have in your home bar.
This is how to make the cold brew martini this summer:
Not to be confused with an affogato, a cold brew float is a delectable summer dessert and drink all in one. Simple in its ingredients, but complex in taste and flavour, a Cold Brew Float is composed of a base of cold brew coffee and topped with a scoop of delectable vanilla ice cream. That’s it! Can this summer coffee recipe be any easier?
Cold brew lemonade is a sweet tangy drink that’s great on hot summer afternoons. Without much natural acidity, cold brew coffee blends really well with the zing of freshly squeezed lemon juice. The bitterness of the coffee and lemon is rounded out by the sugar in the lemonade, for a refreshing and delightfully bubbly summer coffee drink. You can easily adjust the below recipe to match your taste, but if you're like us, you might find that you prefer a bolder lemony tang.
Add 1 part cold brew coffee and 1 part fresh lemonade
Mix the two ingredients, add ice, and stir it all together. Simple, refreshing, energising.
For sweet, smooth, and refreshing summer coffee drinks, we strongly recommend you opt for a fresh roasted specialty-grade coffee. Whether you are looking for whole beans, ground, decaffeinated or coffee pods, premium quality coffee offers a more complex flavour assortment of fruity, floral, sweet, nutty, and bright tasting notes—all desirable for our summer coffee recipes.