How to Make Cold Brew Coffee + Flavors: Vanilla Bourbon and Mexican Chocolate [Iced Coffee Recipe]

The best cold brew coffee recipe is also the easiest. I'll show you how to make three different flavors at home, step-by-step:

- Original Black Cold Brew Coffee
- Vanilla Bourbon Flavor (with Vanilla Bean)
- Mexican Chocolate Flavor

• What's so great about Cold Brew Coffee?
You've probably heard the term "cold brew" thrown around as a buzz word lately. So why all the fuss?

The advantages of cold brew is that it ends to be smoother, less bitter, and less acidic than standard brewed coffee. Why is that? Because cold brew is made without heat or hot water. This is important because certain acidic compounds in coffee are only "activated" with heat. So the long, extended process of cold brewing results in a super-strong brew without the bitterness of regular coffee.

• How do I drink it?
Most cold brew recipes produce a kind-of "coffee concentrate" - stronger than espresso. Too strong for most folks to drink straight. I prefer cutting it 50/50 with cold water, or with a splash of milk, half-and-half, or sweetened condensed milk.

• How do I make it?
To make cold-brew coffee, you simply combine:
- 1 part coffee (by weight in ounces), and
- 8 parts room-temp water (by volume in ounces)

(I prefer an 8-to-1 ratio of water-to-coffee. Some prefer it even stronger by using a 7-to-1 ratio.)

Combine the ingredients, stir, and allow to sit at room-temperature for 12-24 hours, stirring occasionally. To filter it, simply line a strainer with a wet paper towel or coffee filters, and pour the coffee mixture through it into any bowl. Bottle and chill for at least 2 hours before serving (not required, but recommended).