Everything about Iced Coffee totally explained
Iced coffee is a cold variant of the normally hot beverage
coffee.
Preparation
There are several ways of preparing iced coffee. Ordinary hot-brewed coffee can be served cold, although this may result in a bitter-tasting product. Cold brewing relies on time, rather than heat, to transfer the coffee flavor to the water. In order to achieve this, ground coffee is soaked in water for hours and then filtered. This may be done in any container, such as a
mason jar, although commercialized cold brewing systems also exist.
In more recent times it has become common for coffee shops to offer 'iced' versions of their most popular coffee drinks. The iced latte and iced mocha are the two most common examples of this. A quick way of preparing such drinks is to make a small quantity of strong, hot
espresso, dissolving the required sweetener/flavorings in the hot liquid and then pouring this directly into a cup of ice cold milk. This method is particularly common in busier coffee shops where rapid customer turnover is required.
Serving
Depending on the brewing method, iced coffee can be served already chilled, or poured hot, double strength, over an equal amount of ice. Because sugar doesn't dissolve readily into cold liquids, it must be added either directly to the hot base, or to the finished product in the form of simple
syrup, which can be made by mixing quantities of water, dairy, soymilk and/or sugar, then simmering over low heat until the desired viscosity is attained. Instead of sugar, most synthetic substitutes such as
aspartame (Equal, Nutrasweet) or
sucralose (Splenda) will dissolve readily into cold coffee.
Variations by Country
Australia
In
Australia, iced coffee is a cold flavoured
milk drink as opposed to simply coffee that has been chilled or cold-brewed. Home made iced coffee is often served with
ice cream and
whipped cream. The result is something like an un-blended
milk shake.
There are many restaurants and cafes which also serve iced coffee made from chilled coffee and water (with or without ice) with ice cream, syrup, cream and cocoa powder or coffee beans on top.
Some commercial varieties of iced coffee are made from real coffee while others contain only coffee flavouring. Most commercial varieties of Australian iced coffee have 2-3 times the caffeine of cola.
Iced coffee has been sold commercially in Australia since the late 19th century in the form of a
syrup, an example of which is Bushells Coffe and Chickory Essence, and more recently as a prepackaged, ready to consume drink.
One popular brand is
Farmer's Union Iced Coffee, which outsells
Coca Cola in
South Australia and has become an official icon and legend in that state This particular brand is now widely available in Queensland (as far north as Mackay), Northern Territory, Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania. The product isn't yet available in Western Australia.
Pauls Iced Coffee is the second most popular drink in the Northern Territory, after beer. It isn't available outside of the Northern Territory, save for rare instances when it's sold in Dili, East Timor.
Other varieties include Big M, Ice Break, Browns Iced Coffee Chill, Browns Coffee Chill, Browns Dome Cappacino Supershake, Browns Mocha Chill, Dare, Masters Esspresso, Masters Iced Coffee and Max Iced Coffee.
The formulation of the original Max Iced Coffee was changed in September 2001 from full cream milk to low fat. Despite a number of appeals by consumers to the Max Iced Coffee owners (Dairy Farmers) to switch back to the full cream formulation, the low fat variety has remained as the only available Max Iced Coffee in South Australia. However, in other parts of Australia, full cream Max Iced Coffee is still available (known as Oak Iced Coffee).
Germany
In
Germany there are different types of
Eiskaffee (iced coffee). The most widespread form is a flavoured
milk drink similar to Australian iced coffee, generally spelled as
Eiscafé (from the French
café) and available in German
coffeehouses and in
Eisdielen (
ice-cream parlours). However, this type of iced coffee is rarely available in German supermarkets. The most widespread form of iced coffee in supermarkets is a canned version from a variety of brands with different flavours such as
Cappuccino and
Espresso. This iced coffee is very similar to the canned iced coffee in the UK and in the case of some brands (particularly
Nestlé) actually the same product.
Greece
In
Greece one of the most popular coffees is a variation of iced coffee, called
Frappé invented by
Yiannis Dritsas. Its is stirred in an electric mixer and thus has a foam on top. Milk is optional. It became well-known during the
Athens 2004 Olympic Games when many tourists became fond of it and an article on the
Los Angeles Times was written about it.
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Other popular cold coffee beverages in Greece are espresso and
capuccino freddo.
Israel
Iced Coffee, or "
Ice Caffe" as pronounced in Hebrew, is more of a coffee
slushie with blended ice and not simply chilled coffee.
Italy
In Italy
Nestlé introduced the
Greek frappé coffee under its Nescafé Red Cup line, with the name
Red Cup Iced Coffee.
Japan
In Japan, iced coffee (アイスコーヒー iced coffee in
Japanese) has been drunk since
Taishō period (around
1920s) in
coffee shops. It is served with
gum syrup and milk.
Cold tea was already popular, so it was natural to drink cold coffee. In
1969,
UCC Ueshima Coffee released canned coffee, which made coffee available everywhere. Today,
Japanese canned coffee is consumed both cold and hot.
Thailand
Thai iced coffee is brewed using strong black coffee, sweetened with sugar, heavy cream (or half-and-half) and cardamom, and quickly cooled and served over ice. Some variations are brewed using espresso. Thai iced coffee can be served with whipped cream on top for a layered effect, and garnished with cinnamon, vanilla and/or anise. It is a common menu item at Thai restaurants and works well after a spicy meal.
United Kingdom
In United Kingdom, iced coffee comes in a variety of forms. There is a canned version, produced by Nestlé, who make a variety of flavours such as Cappuccino and
Mochaccino. These cans are found in most (if not all) supermarkets and are usually found in the tea/coffee aisle, as opposed to being ready chilled, which is meant to be done by the customer at their own home. The second type of iced coffee comes in a glass bottle, this version is made by a small company called
Cafe Met, they produce Chocolatte, Hazelatte and Mochalatte varieties. The bottles are found in chilled cabinets and must be kept chilled at all times, likely due to the content of fresh milk. A further type is offered by
Dinkum (External Link), and is aimed at the mobile vendor market.
Vietnam
Vietnamese iced coffee is drip coffee with condensed milk served over ice. In Vietnam, it's typical to use a
coffee press to brew the dark-roasted beans often used to make iced coffee. It is generally a sweeter, heavier drink than its Thai counterpart.
India
"Cold coffee" has become an extremely popular drink in India over the last several years. Typically it consists of Nescafe
instant coffee mixed with cold milk in a blender, producing a thin, coffee-flavored smoothie. A more upscale version is popular in the espresso bar chains Barrista and Cafe Coffee Day. This is made with a shot of espresso and cold milk, like a latte.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Iced Coffee'.
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