The “cold brew” method, the cold infusion of coffee beans, is becoming a real hit this summer, both in Europe and in the United States. What started out as a niche product at the beginning of this decade has now entered the global market thanks to big chains such as Starbucks, Costa Coffee or Dunkin Donuts.

To understand exactly what we are talking about, it is important to know that cold brew coffee has absolutely nothing to do with iced coffee or frappé. While frappé is coffee served with milk, on a layer of ice, cold brew is a concentrated coffee essence obtained after infusing coffee for many hours and then diluting it in water. We have all seen how the craft beer industry recently revolutionized the beer sector. In the same way, the cold brew method also calls for a slower preparation process. In addition, baristas take more involvement in their elaboration, becoming true coffee craftsmen.

The recent popularity of cold brew may also be due to the wide variety of possibilities it offers: notes of chocolate, caramel or walnut among others. Also, the fact that it is a drink that can be easily taken to festivals, to the office or even sightseeing in the summer wins it many points, especially among millennials.

Another drink that is also becoming popular is nitro coffee, a somewhat peculiar variation on cold brew coffee. The secret to this new drink is none other than the nitrogen injected into it. This gives coffee a smoother, silkier texture and a foamy surface on the coffee that mimics cream (but without adding any calories!). The coffee also loses its characteristic acidic taste, making it less necessary for the drinker to add any sugar. This combination of sweet and cold makes it a very appealing drink for hot weather and has led to cold brew coffee taking its place as the trendy drink for this summer.

Some coffee traditionalists do not seem convinced by the new trend. These are people that do not understand the point of drinking coffee cold, even though ancient cultures like the Japanese have been doing it for hundreds of years.

In any case, cold brew coffee is a drink that has already gained many unconditional fans and has given the beverage industry a whole new field to explore.