Atlantic Canadians can’t get enough iced tea, cold brew

If you need that caffeine kick but can't handle a hot cup of coffee, it's time to turn to the iced versions.

And whether you're making these blends from your own kitchen or heading out to support a local business, iced coffee and iced tea are in high demand right now.

Alice Hartling, who has owned The Village Coffeehouse in Canning since March 2019, has been serving up plenty of the iced coffees and teas in her shop.

“I think they become popular (in the summer) because it gives people different options for the hot weather instead of maybe just having juice or pop.

Now with these iced drinks, such as iced coffee, they can have a few different options for the hot weather,” said Hartling.

“Not everyone wants a hot coffee on a 30-degree day, so it allows people to have something else to choose from."

SIMPLE IS BETTER

According to Hartling, the simplicity of the drink helps with the popularity of iced coffee.

“You don't necessarily want a lot of filler stuff like lots of milk, sugars, whip cream, or any of those kinds of things. I think simple is better when it comes to coffee and herbal drinks,” said Hartling.

Hartling's favourite drink on a hot day is The Village Coffeehouse's iced herbal tea.

“We use a kusmi herbal tea, which is a hibiscus-based herbal tea, and we do it by the cup.

“We infuse a bit of the herbal tea and then we pour it over ice, add a little bit of vanilla, and a little bit of cold water,” said Hartling.

“It is super refreshing and there is no caffeine in it."

That's important to people who are trying to cut back on their caffeine consumption, she adds.

If you do need a mid-day pick-me-up, Hartling says iced coffee is the way to go on a hot summer day. Because of the way she makes hers, she explains, it will give you the same caffeine fix as your usual cup of coffee.

“We use double espresso as the base of all our ice coffees, so you are still going to get that nice, strong coffee flavour, the strong espresso flavour.

“And because we use fresh espresso, you don't get that bitterness that can sometimes come with iced coffee that is cold brewed and are basically just drip coffee that's chilled,” said Hartling.

“So by doing it fresh and pouring the hot espresso right over the ice, it stays really smooth, and you get that nice caffeine jolt that you would get from your cup of coffee in the morning."