Cold Brew Concentrate Brew Guide

Learn how to make amazing cold brew concentrate. In this video we used our beloved Maui Mana to make a simple cold brew tonic, but any of our dark blend coffees would be a great choice!

Darker roasts have lower perceived acidity and are often marked with rich, dark chocolate notes. These are flavor characteristics that make coffees like Maui Mellow, Hawaiian Harmony, or Kona Moon superior choices for a smooth, rich, and full-bodied cold brew.

What we love even more about our dark roast Hawaiian coffees is that they're remarkably versatile as a concentrate. Coffee concentrates can be awesome when you need to turn around big batches of coffee in a snap (think beverage service at an event without a coffee maker). They’re great for making instant cold brew when diluted or poured over ice. They’re also frequently used in coffee mocktails, which are becoming quite popular.

It’s not always easy finding a good coffee for a concentrate. Brewed at that strength, some coffees become extremely bitter or acidic. Just straight up bad. But because coffees like Mana are so smooth and mellow, the flavor of the concentrate remains clean. It’ll stand up and complement your oat milk and even a citrus tonic (see cold brew tonic below).

What you'll need:

• 100g of Maui Mana, Hawaiian Harmony, or Kona Moon (any of our dark roast Hawaiian coffees will do)
• 700g of filtered water
• Scale
• Grinder
• French press or large jar

We’ll be using a 1:7 ratio (1 gram of coffee for every 7 grams of water), so feel free to adjust the amount of coffee and water based on how much concentrate you’d like to make.

Instructions

1. Measure 100 g of coffee.
2. Grind coffee at a coarse setting.
   
3. Pour the coffee into container and add 700 g of filtered water.
   
4. Stir and saturate the grounds.
   
5. Cover and let it brew. There are two brew options –
6. Leave it at room temperature for 12 - 15 hours
   a. Refrigerate for 24 hours
   b. Leave it at room temperature for 12 - 15 hours. 
   
   Tip: If I’m making it in the AM, I will refrigerate to filter the concentrate the next morning. If I’m making it in the PM, I will leave it on the counter overnight and filter the next morning. The coffee will taste different depending on what temperature its brewing at, so experiment to find what you like.
   
   
7.   Filter the concentrate after elapsed time. If you are using a large jar, you can filter the coffee by pouring it over a paper filter, a sieve, or a nut milk bag.
   
8. Optional step: filter the concentrate again.
9. Store in the fridge and enjoy for up to a week.

Now that you’ve got your coffee concentrate, try it in a cold brew tonic! 

How to make cold brew tonic

1. Add ice to glass
2. Pour 2 parts tonic water
3. Pour 1 part coffee concentrate
4. Garnish and enjoy!