Fashionable sunglasses and
no-fuss footwear are obvious summertime accoutrements, but for many sun worshippers, the defining warm weather accessory is something that refreshes, rather than adorns, the body: namely, iced coffee. The days of complicated combinations of froth and flavors are over, however, with simple
cold-brew concentrate reigning as the caffeinated drink of choice this summer.
19 Charles Street: This NYC-based delivery service is designed for local gourmands who love to cook but are too busy to shop for groceries. Ingredients from vendors such as
Murray’s Cheese,
Raffetto’s and
Ronnybrook Farm Dairy are delivered weekly, after
which subscribers use them to craft simple (under one hour) recipes developed specifically for them. One of their more popular items this season is their house brand iced coffee concentrate.
Sold in liter bottles for just $15, the elixir is cold-brewed New Orleans-style with chicory. After being diluted with water, milk or cream, each bottle yields approximately 10 cups of coffee. Now, from where can we order some
beignets to go with it?
Chameleon Cold Brew: Chameleon co-founders Chris Campbell and Steve Williams met at a neighborhood 4
th of July fête in Austin, where the company is based. The low key nature of their serendipitous meeting remains core to the brand, as the duo has remained steadfastly committed to its Texas roots even as their product goes national. The key to the Chameleon formula is its 24-hour cold-brewing period, which ensures a less acidic flavor than most coffees. Though it can be consumed straight up in a shot for an extreme jolt or mixed into a traditional iced coffee,
some of the brand’s favorite blends—including one that involves
Nutella—sound unusually ambrosial.
Kickstand: Last spring, at least
one food vendor on wheels suggested that food bikes may be the new food trucks. Though handlebar-outfitted eateries have yet to gain mass appeal, bike-based coffee cart Kickstand’s new cold-brew concentrate may be redefining its business model. The Brooklyn-based outfit brews weekly using single-origin beans sourced from
Café Grumpy’s Greenpoint location. Packaged into 16-ounce $11 bottles, the concentrate is available for delivery on Sundays and Mondays to six different Brooklyn neighborhoods as well as lower Manhattan. Of course, with
Grady’s, another Brooklyn-based purveyor of artisanal cold-brew concentrate, having just launched last month, a java turf war soon may be afoot.
