Cold Brew, Unleashed: How to Make Smooth, Summer-Ready Coffee with Playful Pup Espresso
UNLEASH YOUR COFFEE OBSESSION—but make it cold. If you love velvety, low-acidity coffee that sips like silk on a warm Queensland morning, cold brew is your new best mate. Here’s your complete, no‑fuss guide to making café‑quality cold brew at home using Playful Pup Espresso blends.
What Is Cold Brew (and Why It’s So Smooth)?
Cold brew is coffee brewed with cold water over a long period (usually 12–18 hours). The result: a naturally sweet, low-acidity concentrate with chocolatey, tea-like vibes and zero bitterness. It’s brilliant over ice, with milk, or as a base for summer spritzers.
Choose Your Pup: The Best Playful Pup Blends for Cold Brew
- Playful Blend (PNG Arokara Cooperative): Expect caramel + nuts on the nose, a light citric pop, and caramel & black tea in the cup. In cold brew, those caramel notes get syrupy-smooth, and the tea-like finish shines. Great all-rounder.
- Seasonal Single Origin – Kenya: Think fresh herbs, caramel, dried fruits, cranberries, black tea, toffee apples, sweet lemon. Cold brewing highlights the toffee apple sweetness and black tea elegance—delicious as a bright, refreshing iced coffee.
Tip: Use freshly roasted beans (we roast to order) and grind just before brewing for the cleanest, most expressive flavours.
Gear You’ll Need
- Grinder (burr grinder preferred)
- Brewer: French press, mason jar, or dedicated cold brew pot
- Scale or measuring cups
- Filter: paper filter, fine mesh, or cloth
- Fridge space + patience (the hardest part)
Baseline Recipe (Concentrate Style)
Makes a versatile concentrate you can dilute to taste.
- Grind: Coarse—think raw sugar/sea salt texture.
- Ratio: 1:5 by weight (e.g., 100g coffee : 500g cold water). For a simpler scoop method, use roughly 1 cup coffee to 5 cups water.
- Bloom (optional): Splash 50–80g water to wet grounds, wait 1–2 minutes.
- Steep: Add remaining water, stir gently, cover, and refrigerate 14–16 hours.
- Filter: Press in a French press, then filter again through paper or a fine mesh for clarity.
- Store: Keep concentrate in the fridge, sealed, for up to 7–10 days.
Serve 1:1 to 1:2 with water or milk. Taste and adjust—there are no rules, only vibes.
Quick Brew (Ready Today)
In a pinch? Try a slightly stronger ratio and a shorter room‑temp steep.
- Ratio: 1:4 (e.g., 100g coffee : 400g water)
- Time: 8–10 hours at cool room temp, then chill
- Flavor: A touch more brightness, still smooth
Dial‑In Tips (So Your Brew Tastes Paw‑fect)
- Too bitter/silty? Grind coarser, shorten steep, filter twice.
- Too weak? Increase brew ratio (more coffee), lengthen steep, or dilute less.
- Flat/muddy? Use fresher beans; aim for a cleaner second filtration.
- Cloudy? Rest concentrate 1–2 hours in the fridge, then decant off sediment.
Taste Notes by Blend
- Playful Blend: Silky caramel body, nutty roundness, iced‑latte heaven. Try 1:2 with full‑cream or oat milk.
- Kenya Single Origin: Tea‑like clarity with a cranberry snap. Gorgeous as a 1:1 spritz over ice with a lemon twist.
Fun Cold Brew Variations
- Vanilla Oat Cream: 100ml concentrate + 100ml oat milk + dash of vanilla + ice. Shake for café‑worthy foam.
- Cold Brew Tonic: 75ml concentrate over ice + 150ml tonic water + citrus peel. Bright and bubbly.
- Affogato‑Style: Scoop of vanilla gelato + 60ml cold brew concentrate. Dessert meets pick‑me‑up.
- Batch for Brunch: Scale base recipe 3× in a 1.5L jar and you’re hosting like a pro.
Serving & Storage
- Best served: Over ice, 1:1 to 1:2 with water or milk.
- Sweeteners: Simple syrup dissolves best cold. Honey/maple also lovely.
- Storage: Concentrate keeps 7–10 days chilled. Ready‑to‑drink (already diluted) keeps 3–4 days.
Why Playful Pup Espresso Works So Well for Cold Brew
- Roasted to order: Freshness turns sweetness up and bitterness down.
- Flavor clarity: Our Playful Blend’s caramel-black tea profile and Kenya’s fruity, tea‑like notes shine when brewed cold.
- Flexible sizes: Start with 250g to test, scale to 500g or 1kg when you’re hooked.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need special gear? Nope. A jar + filter gets you 90% there. A burr grinder helps with consistency.
Can I use pre‑ground? We recommend whole beans for peak flavor, but we can grind for cold brew on request.
How caffeinated is it? It’s a concentrate—dilute to taste. Start 1:1 and see how you feel.
Ready to Brew?
Pick your pup and let’s get sipping. Shop Playful Pup Espresso for fresh, small‑batch beans, roasted to order in Australia. Free shipping on orders over $100 and no lock‑ins on subscriptions.
Printable Recipe Card
- Grind: Coarse
- Ratio: 1:5 (100g coffee : 500g water)
- Brew: 14–16 hrs in fridge
- Filter: Press + paper filter
- Serve: 1:1 to 1:2 with water or milk
- Keep: 7–10 days (concentrate)
P.S. Tag us @playfulpupespresso with your home setup—our mascot loves a good cold brew cameo. ☕️🐶