Coffee doesn’t go on vacation in the heat, it just changes shape. All it takes is a few minutes and the right tools to transform your favorite hot cup into a refreshing iced coffee without sacrificing flavor.
Here are five summer iced coffee recipes, from the simplest to the most creative, with the right method, timing, and coffee for each. You’ll also find our recommendations for which Ernani blend to use for each recipe.
1. Cold Brew Bottle: Cold coffee that makes itself
Cold brew is the perfect recipe if you want maximum results with minimal effort. No heat, no machine: all you need is a bottle with an internal filter, easy to find online for just a few euros.
How to do it:
- Pour 60g of very coarsely ground coffee (similar to coarse salt) and medium or light roast into the bottle filter
- Screw it on and attach it to the cap
- Fill the bottle with 750ml of cold water
- Close the cap, inserting the filter, and put it in the refrigerator for 6-10 hours
The next morning, you’ll have a sweet, rounded coffee, without any bitterness.
It keeps in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, so you can brew a bottle and drink it all week.
Recommended coffees:
Cumbia | Columbia
Fresher and fruitier.
Safi | Kenya
More intense and pungent.
Samay | India
More aromatic and balanced.
The gem:
Add ice and a fresh orange peel to the glass before drinking. It makes the coffee more aromatic without overpowering its flavor.
2. Japanese Iced Coffee: the cold coffee of professionals
If cold brew requires a long wait, Japanese Iced Coffee is the solution for those in a hurry but don’t want to sacrifice quality.
How to make it (serves 1):
- Place the filter in the V60 (filter holder)
- And wet everything with cold water
- Drain it
- Pour 125g of ice into the server
- Pour 15g of medium-coarse ground coffee, medium or light roast, into the filter
- Level with taps
- Pre-infuse by pouring 30 g of water at 93°C, wetting the entire coffee block well.
- Wait 30 seconds
- Pour the remaining 95 ml of water in several steps, very slowly (e.g. pour 30 g of water and wait 30 seconds, another 30 g and wait again, and so on)
The principle is simple and effective: hot water immediately extracts the aromas, while ice immediately locks them in. The result is a fresh, clean coffee, without the lengthy brewing process of cold brew.
Recommended coffees:
Femea | Brazil
Chocolatey and well balanced.
Zema | Ethiopia
fresh and super intriguing.
3. Espresso Tonic: the cold coffee you don’t expect
If you’re looking for something different, the espresso tonic is the perfect recipe. It’s not just a simple iced coffee: it’s a sparkling iced coffee, perfectly bitter, and surprisingly refreshing.
How to do it:
- Fill a tall glass with ice and tonic water
- Extract a double espresso or a moka pot coffee
- Pour it slowly over the tonic water
- Don’t mix: let the two layers meet on their own
The bubbles in the tonic water react with the coffee, creating a layered effect that is as beautiful to look at as it is delicious to drink.
Recommended coffee:
Allegro
Energy combined with intensity.
Blue Diamond
Freshness and lightness.
Additional advice:
Add a twist of lime to the rim of the glass for a citrusy flavor that complements the drink.
4. Shakerato: the great Italian classic
We couldn’t end this list without Italy’s most popular iced coffee: the shakerato. Simple, quick, and ideal if you don’t have any special equipment at home.
How to do it:
- Prepare a double espresso or a nice concentrated coffee for the moka pot
- Pour it into a shaker (or a jar with a lid) filled with ice
- Add sugar or other ingredients to taste
- Shake vigorously for about 30 seconds
- Strain and pour into a martini glass or short glass
The result is a creamy coffee, with a light foam on the surface, cold and just the right amount of sweetness without the need to add milk or cream.
Recommended coffee:
Armonia
Rich and enveloping.
Baile | Brazil
Sweet and chocolate.
5. Cold Brew Dripper: for those who love the ritual
If bottled cold brew has convinced you and you want to take it a step further, the Cold Brew Dripper is the right tool. Unlike a filter bottle, the water drips onto the coffee drop by drop, slowly and steadily, for up to 12 hours.
How to do it:
- Wet a special round filter placed on the base of the filter holder
- Place 40g of very coarsely ground coffee (similar to coarse salt) of medium or light roast into the dripper filter
- Level with a few taps
- Place another pre-wetted round filter on top of the ground coffee
- Fill the upper tank with 500 ml of cold water or ice
- Adjust the faucet for a slow flow, about 6 drops every 10 seconds.
- Let the dripper work for 8-12 hours
The result is even cleaner and more delicate than traditional cold brew: the slow, steady extraction yields a clear, sweet coffee with an almost silky texture. It’s the preferred method for those who enjoy watching their coffee brew, as well as drinking it.
Recommended coffee:
The same logic applies to bottled cold brew, so Colombia, Kenya, or India to enhance the fruity and floral notes. With a dripper, however, the difference between the origins is even more noticeable.
Which cold coffee is right for you?
There is no absolute “best” recipe: it depends on how much time you have and what you’re looking for.
- Little time and a desire for simplicity → Japanese Iced Coffee
- Want to make a lot of it quickly, so you can drink it for days → Cold Brew
- Looking for something original to offer your friends → Espresso Tonic
- Do you want the timeless classic → Shakerato
- You love ritual and want to feel like a little alchemist → Cold Brew Dripper
The most important thing, in any recipe, remains the quality of the starting coffee.
A good cold coffee always begins with a good hot coffee: cold preparation highlights the defects as much as the qualities.
If you’d like to find out which of our blends best suits your preferred method, visit us in store or contact us: we’ll help you find the perfect coffee for your summer!
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Coffee Lover
