Everyone’s talking about . . . COLD BREW COFFEE

Why’s it in the news?

COLD brew coffee is this winter’s ‘hottest’ beverage trend, made by steeping coffee grounds in cold water. Hipsters crow that it tastes smoother and richer.

Whatever next?

WELL, Starbucks and a few other retailers have launched ‘nitro cold brew’. The coffee is mixed with nitrogen gas and pressurised so it can be poured from a tap. Starbucks says it has a ‘cascading, velvety crema’ — or in English, lots of tiny bubbles for a smooth drink. It looks like caffeinated Guinness.

So does it taste different?

APPARENTLY so. Soaking grounds in cold water makes the coffee less acidic than hot brew. So, you shouldn’t need extra sugar — and there’s less caffeine, too. A 16oz cold brew from Starbucks contains around 200mg, while a hot 16oz coffee contains 360mg.

How do you drink it?

AT ROOM temperature or over ice. Hugh Duffie, co-founder of independent coffee company Sandows, says it works in cocktails — try with gin and a twist of orange peel. ‘It’s lovely,’ he enthuses.

Where did it come from?

NOT the Italians this time — cold brew started in Japan. ‘Kyoto coffee’ was introduced in the 1600s by Dutch traders and eventually reached Cuba in the Twenties. From there, the trend hit the U.S. and finally trickled over here.

And how can I try it?

NITRO Cold Brew is now in Starbucks and Costa, while even supermarkets are tapping into the trend. For cold coffee connoisseurs, Sandows sells canned nitro cold brew at Ocado, Selfridges and Whole Foods (six cans for £13).

Could I make it myself?

OF COURSE. Jamie Oliver is a big fan, and serves his DIY recipe in jam jars (naturally). Pour coarsely ground coffee into a jug. Add cold water, with a rough 1:8 coffeewater ratio. Stir, refrigerate overnight, then strain. Or try the Hario Cold Brew Coffee Pot (£17) — which works like a tea infuser, and the Oxo Good Grips Cold Brew Coffee Maker (£35.99) can be poured right into a cup. But if you’re dead set on a frothy nitro cold brew, the Nitro Cold Coffee dispenser from coffeehit.co.uk is a snip at £3,960 . . .