No more need to add ice cubes to your hot coffee from your Keurig. You can get cold brew (which uses no heat at all) almost anywhere now, including delivered to your doorstep.
Cold brew consists of using the best-quality coffee beans while also taking the time to enjoy the complete flavor profile of them. Pour over ice, save yourself some calories as no sweeteners are needed (unless preferred).
Photo by Colleen Daly
Here are some of the nation’s best cold brews, in no particular order, sourcing beans from all over the world, while also looking to be sustainable. These are some of the best cold brew options that you can buy no matter where you are. Check your local Whole Foods, Trader Joes, or online to snag these for yourself or as a gift.
#Spoontip: Make your own almond milk and simple syrup or just drink it straight, like a real coffee drinker would.
Stumptown Cold Brew ($4)
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This cold brew is a 10.5 oz growler that not only looks great but tastes it too. It has a stronger flavor, but if you’re looking to get things done, pour over ice and you’re in business. These beans come from countries like Indonesia, Africa, Latin America, as the “green team” visits their suppliers frequently to keep good, close relations to make sure of the highest quality while also being sustainable.
Also, try Stumptown Cold Brew with milk.
Stumptown Nitro Cold Brew Coffee ($5)
Photo by Colleen Daly
This slim 11-oz can not only has a trendy, eye-grabbing look to it, but also has a distinct flavor from the other Stumptown brews. This cold brew has a creamier mouthfeel as soon as you pop the tab because of the nitrogen released. This is the only cold brew I have seen on the market available at Whole Foods.
Fun Fact: Stumptown can send out kegs and growlers of this cold brew because of the nitrogen and demand.
Trader Joe’s Cold Brew Concentrate ($7.99)
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Everyone’s rising favorite grocery store is always looking to cater to the newest trends for the loyal customers. That is why TJ’s began to offer a cold brew concentrate that can be poured over ice and includes 12 cups worth of coffee for only $7.99. This is definitely your best bang for your buck as it can be used for drinking, baking, milkshakes…the list goes on.
High Brew Dark Chocolate Mocha ($2)
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On sale for 2 for $4 at Whole Foods, these slim, 60-calorie cans are the perfect afternoon pick me up. Coffee and chocolate? Say no more. These have a similar taste profile to Starbucks iced coffee with milk, but definitely of higher quality and taste made with 100 percent Fair Trade Arabica beans. This is a sweeter cold brew option as it is sweetened with a little Stevia, milk, and pure cane sugar.
#Spoontip: you can find these at some Walmarts and on Amazon as well.
High Brew Double Espresso ($2)
Photo by Colleen Daly
This High Brew option is similar to the Mocha, but is perfect for those looking for the afternoon pick me up to consistent of espresso and only 50 calories. It is a bit sweeter than an Americano, without losing that espresso flavor you are looking for, and keeping the acidity a little lower than the average coffee. This High Brew can be mixed and matched at Whole Foods.
Califia Cold Brew with milk ($3.50)
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This cold brew is one of the only ones I have seen in other stores besides Whole Foods. It comes in different varieties such as individual and 48 oz bottles.
The Califia company also sells almond milk, creamers, and all of the cold brews include their own almond milk so they are already a bit sweet, which is why their coffee is not as strong as the others in flavor but has a sweeter taste to it for those who can’t drink their coffee black.
Blue Bottle ($4)
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Available at your local Whole Foods or online to ship a cold brew home kit directly to you. This New Orleans-style cold brew comes in cartons for a more casual feel and slick taste that is blended with cane sugar and organic milk.
Chameleon ($4)
Photo Courtesy of Chameleoncoldbrew.com
This cold brew can be found at your local Whole foods in plenty of varieties. Ranging from cold brew concentrate, you can decide on straight up or diluted, hot or iced, black or creamy, and sweet or not. The coffee is made from Central and South American Fair Trade coffee beans and creates a smooth black coffee flavor. Their cold brew is definitely one of the best as it is brewed for about 16 hours instead of the usual 12.
Slingshot Cold Brew Concentrate ($12)
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This cold brew was founded in 2012 and was one of the first big cold brew coffee companies in the US. Slingshot is currently available in retailers up and down the East Coast, and into the Midwest, but they also ship anywhere in the U.S. They want to be known for the quality, knowledge, and innovation. This shouldn’t be too hard as the founder, Jenny and her husband are both award-winning baristas.
This concentrate was a crowd favorite, and no sweeteners were needed.
Boxed Cold Brew ($15)
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This box of cold brew, similar to Franzia boxed wine, is a perfect way to bring enough cold brew for everyone. Slingshot claims to be one of the only companies that consistently uses organic, in-season coffees in their brews. This box includes the same smooth flavor, just in box form. It contains 8 glasses for only $15.
Anchorhead ($4)
Photo Courtesy of Anchorheadcoffee.com
This cold brew is only currently available at Whole Foods out west, but you can still get your fix by ordering online. They let their cold brew go for about 20 hours, which is a lot more than the usual 12 hours, this allows the concentrate to be a lot less acidic for customers than regular hot brewed coffee. All cold brews are unsweetened, so if you can’t handle it black, keep that in mind.
Photo by Colleen Daly
Overall, these are all great and I would drink any of them. If I had to pick one winner based on style, flavor, price, and overall quality it would definitely be Slingshot. They have so many different varieties and the taste is just what I am looking for with cold brew and no milk or sugar necessary. Plus, what college student doesn’t want coffee out of a spout just like Franzia boxed wine?
I definitely recommend any coffee lovers to try all of these ASAP, though.