1. Cold drip
How’s it made?
Using a drip tower – a steampunk-looking contraption that drips cold water through coffee grounds for eight hours or more, gently extracting the beans.
How’s it taste?
Darker and more intense than snap chill (see fourth entry), but still milder than espresso. The beauty of snap chill and cold drip is that because you start with concentrate, you can dilute to taste. And both can be served with summery add-ons such as lemonade, herbs or sliced fruit. A splash of booze is also an option.
2. Càscara
How’s it made?
Until recently, the pulpy husks that encase coffee beans were considered a waste product by most of the coffee industry. After removal, they were discarded or used as fertiliser. But as some farmers have long known, cáscara (“shell” in Spanish) makes a delicious tea, brewed hot or cold. This version is carbonated with carbon dioxide.
How’s it taste?
Nothing like coffee. Though cáscara is caffeinated, it drinks more like rooibos and other herbal teas. Expect fruity, floral flavours such as apple, cranberry, cherry, rosehip, bergamot, elderflower and hibiscus.
3. Iced latte
How’s it made?
It contains milk, ice and espresso, of course, but the order these ingredients are added in is a matter of much debate. Some baristas believe espresso gets “shocked” when poured directly onto ice, creating off flavours. Others say this is nonsense. We’re not prepared to weigh in. We just want to say this: we love it when cafes take the time to froth the milk with a blender or French press, like you see here.
How’s it taste?
Like a cold latte, funnily enough.
4. Snap Chill
How’s it made?
Also known as “flash brew”. Coffee is brewed hot, then rapidly cooled to halt the extraction of oils and acids. This thick, Guinness-like version was carbonated with nitrogen. Snap chill is tipped to take over from the more widespread cold brew, which has limited extraction potential and results in exceptionally smooth but much less expressive coffee.
How’s it taste?
If you’re used to espresso, filter coffee can taste weak or watery, even though it’s just as caffeinated. Expect gentle acidity and flavours ranging from nuts and cocoa to herbs and citrus fruits.
5. Cà phê sữa đá
How’s it made?
What Australians call “Vietnamese coffee” is made by combining hot water and dark roast grounds in a small metal filter (phin cà phê) that sits atop a glass and drips coffee into it over the course of a few minutes. Add a few tablespoons of condensed milk, some ice and voila. At many cafes it’s made with espresso rather than the traditional method – much of a muchness.
How’s it taste?
Very bitter and very sweet, ideally in equal parts that balance one another.
