The moment the weather turns in Newcastle, the whole rhythm of the cafe changes. Hot flat whites give way to cold brew, the specials board gets a lot more fun, and we start getting asked the same question again: what is the difference between all these cold drinks?
Here is the rundown, plus how to do a decent one at home.
Iced latte
Espresso, cold milk, ice. Simple, strong, and the most popular cold drink we make. It tastes like your normal order, just built for a warmer day.
Cold brew
Coffee steeped slowly in cold water for many hours, never heated. It comes out smooth and low in acidity, which makes it dangerously easy to drink. It is usually stronger than people expect, so pace yourself.
Cold foam, the fun one
Milk or cream whipped cold into a thick velvety layer that floats on top and does not melt away. Every sip comes through it. Our lavender cold foam iced latte had people planning their week around it, and the pine lime soda with coconut cold foam was pure summer.
The board rotates with the season, which is half the point. More on that in our cold foam write up.
Making a decent one at home
We used to pour hot espresso straight over ice and wonder why it tasted watered down. The ice melts on contact and dilutes the whole thing.
Two fixes. Either brew your espresso onto a small amount of cold milk first so it drops in temperature before it meets the ice, or freeze coffee into ice cubes so nothing dilutes as it melts. The second one feels like a trick but it genuinely works.
Bring your own cup, even for cold
Our 500ml tumbler was built for exactly this, and you still get 50 cents off for bringing it in. Works just as well with a reusable cup if that is what you already carry.
Come see what is on the board. Please come say hello!