What is nitro cold brew?

Are you looking for an iced coffee drink that has a smooth and silky mouthfeel with just the right amount of sweetness? Look no further than nitro cold brew!

 If you’re a coffee lover, nitro cold brew might be nothing new to you. But for those who aren’t hip to the latest coffee trend, it might be confusing to see coffee poured out of a tap the way beer is. Truthfully, nitro cold brew is infused with a gas just like beer is! But unlike beer, nitro cold brew contains no alcohol, and you can easily purchase nitro infusers so you can make your own nitro cold brew right at home.

Before you go investing in your own nitro cold brew coffee system – or take the plunge and order one the next time you grab a cup of coffee – you might want to know exactly what nitro cold brew is and how it’s different from regular iced coffee.

What is nitro cold brew?

Simply put, nitro cold brew is cold brewed coffee that has been infused or “charged” with nitrogen. Nitrogen is an odorless gas that acts very similarly to carbon dioxide in that it can be combined with a liquid to produce a bubbly beverage. Whereas carbon dioxide is quite effervescent, nitrogen has much smaller bubbles, so it creates a thick and creamy mouthfeel – almost as though you have added cream to your coffee.

Nitro cold brew also tastes a bit sweeter than regular coffee, so many people like to drink it without adding any sugar. This can have enormous health benefits, especially to those who are trying to avoid added sugars in their diet.

Creating nitro cold brew isn’t the complicated science experiment that it sounds like. It’s actually quite simple:

First, cold brew coffee is made by steeping coffee grounds in cold water for 12 to 24-hours. This brewing process produces a coffee that is darker, sweeter, and less acidic than traditionally brewed coffee, making it easier on the stomach and more robust to taste.

 Next, the cold brew is “charged” with nitrogen. This can be done a few ways:

·      With pressurized nitro cold brew kegs and a tap – very similar to how bars and restaurants dispense beer

·      With a handheld nitrogen canister and N2 chargers – this method is best for making nitro cold brew at home.

Why infuse cold brew with nitrogen?

Great question! The idea for nitro cold brew came from Mike McKim, owner of Cuvee Coffee in Austin, Texas. Along with enjoying a fresh iced coffee, Mike also loved the occasional beer. When he was sipping on a nitro-infused beer from Left Hand Brewing Company, the idea for infusing coffee with nitrogen popped into his head. If nitrogen could make a dark beer thick, sweet, and creamy (think Guinness), why couldn’t it do the same for coffee?

 In 2014, Cuvee Coffee launched their innovative nitro cold brew and it spread like wildfire. Today, it is probably more popularly seen in Starbucks, but nitro cold brew can be found in coffee shops all around the world. If you aren’t seeing nitro cold brew at your local shop, grab a nitro cold brew coffee kit from Nitroknox and make some right at home!