Experience the lightly sweet and creamy flavor of nitro coffee - a cold brew beverage that is infused with nitrogen to give it an extra kick. Nitrogen-saturated nitro coffee consists of natural coffee, water, and nitrogen for ultimate enjoyment. Bring out its unique taste by preparing it in the classic way: cold brewed!
Nitro coffee (from the English nitro - nitrogen) - cold brew coffee, saturated with nitrogen.
The US followed suit just a year later when Nitro Coffee became one of their biggest summertime drinks in 2018 - skyrocketing it to the top spot among all other favorite summer coffees!
Nitro coffee is a modern take on traditional cold brew. It's made with freshly ground beans, purified water, and nitrogen - the perfect combination for making your favorite morning beverage! The process involves soaking the grounds overnight before filtering them and then saturating them with nitrogen using an installation to cool off the drink. With nitro coffee, you can get that smooth yet energizing kick of caffeine without much hassle!
Nitrogen is not only non-toxic to humans, but it can also add an entirely new dimension of flavor and texture to your coffee. Through pressurization and a cooling station, nitrogen saturates the beverage with fine bubbles to create a velvety smoothness that you won't find anywhere else. To make this possible, we borrow certain aspects from beer brewing - like valves and modifications - when assembling our nitro stations for maximum results. To increase the solubility of the nitrogen, the coffee must be chilled. The first minutes after bottling outwardly resembles Guinness beer - a cap of foam and an avalanche of bubbles.
Nitro coffee is stored in kegs under slight pressure and poured into glasses immediately before serving to guests, right behind the bar.
Nitro coffee set:
- nitro station
- Nitrogen bottle
- Kegs of different sizes - for nitro coffee and for flushing the system
- Coffee
- filtered water
The Story
Cuvee Coffee and Stumptown Coffee were pioneers in the nitro cold brew movement, paving the way for other coffee companies to join. As a result of their enthusiasm, countless versions of nitro cold brew can now be found around the globe - an impressive victory for these two forward-thinking organizations!
In 2011, Mike McKim, the mastermind behind the Austin Cuvee roaster had a brilliant idea: nitro coffee. The following year saw him introduce his groundbreaking invention to the US market - draft nitro coffee.
To make it even easier for people to enjoy this caffeinated concoction, in 2014 he launched canned nitro coffee that quickly gained popularity across the globe. In the vibrant city of Austin, Texas, Cuvee Coffee has crafted a whole production line dedicated to its signature cold brew. They are constantly experimenting with new flavors and combinations for both the classic black version as well as options infused with hemp oil, vanilla, and cinnamon. Cooked at 36 degrees each time for maximum flavor, this is one coffee experience you don't want to miss!
In 2013, Stumptown Coffee of Portland, Oregon launched its take on nitro coffee and in 2015 made it available for mass consumption in cans. To create this cold brew treat with its delicious chocolaty aftertaste and lower acidity levels, only superior-grade coffee beans are utilized, these then steep for a full twelve hours without being exposed to heat before undergoing double filtration.
As innovators in the coffee industry, Stumptown is constantly exploring different flavors and ingredients to make fresh and delicious drinks. One of their most exciting concoctions yet is Nitro Hair Bender, with a delicate floral aroma, and hints of cherry and citrus flavor note that blend perfectly into its caramel body.
As a joke, Stumptown was invited to celebrate April 20 as National Cold Brew Day, and marketers happily picked up this initiative to promote cold brew around the world.
Starbucks pioneers didn't miss out on the rising trend and in May 2016, they rolled out their draft nitro cold brew to customers. Then, an array of exciting flavors were unveiled- including Draft Nitro Cold Brew Reserve, Sweet Nitro Cold Brew with Cream, Nitro Latte, Nitro Freddo Mocha with/without Milk, and Cascara flavoring! Now you can enjoy these drinks from local stores in both the US as well as the United Kingdom.
What other types of nitro coffee are there?
- Nitro latte - cold milk and ice are added to nitro coffee.
- Air Latte is a nitrogen-rich cold brew with milk and cream.
- Nitro Raf - creamy caramel is added to nitro coffee, the drink tastes like melted vanilla ice cream with dense foam.
- Coffee kvass - natural passion fruit puree and sugar syrup are added to the nitro base, resulting in a bright coffee-fruit drink that tastes like kvass.
Comparison of nitro coffee and cold brew
Both drinks are based on cold brew coffee. Freshly ground coffee is poured with cold water and infused for 8 to 24 hours, then filtered. And then there are nuances.
|
Cold brew |
Nitro coffee |
|
|
How to cook |
After filtering, the drink is removed from the refrigerator and poured chilled. They don't gas. |
After filtration, it is passed through a cooling station and simultaneously saturated with nitrogen, hence the name "nitro" |
|
Texture |
It resembles strong tea leaves and does not always have pleasant tactile sensations on the tongue |
Thanks to the saturation with nitrogen, the texture is round, dense, enveloping, pleasant, and easy to drink. |
|
Foam on the surface |
No foam |
Due to saturation with nitrogen - silky, tender, light. |
|
Taste |
Cold coffee, often with a predominance of bitterness and astringency. To give a more interesting taste, milk, syrups, tonics, etc. are added. |
Cold coffee with a balance of bitterness and acidity, and saturation with nitrogen gives additional sweetness, and flavor characteristics - chocolate, caramel, etc. |
|
Packaging and storage conditions |
Most often bottled or bottled |
Poured through a tap from a keg, like beer. Available in bottles and cans |
Conclusion
If you're looking for an incredibly smooth and creamy cup of coffee with a sweet taste that does not require sugar, then nitro coffee is the ideal choice! To make this delicious concoction yourself, all you need is a nitro station. Upon first glance at your freshly brewed cup of nitrogen-infused goodness, it will resemble something similarly befitting to Guinness beer—a cap of dense foam atop an avalanche of bubbles. Not only does it look delightful but rest assured that its consumption is completely safe for your body as well!
Important: The drink is loaded with caffeine, so be mindful of your intake. Exceeding the recommended portion size may lead to overconsumption that could prove harmful to your health.