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Cold brew is where coffee takes a sharp turn from just energizing to chug-a-lugging refreshing. Do not confuse it with the weak, inferior iced coffee. This drink gets its characteristic bold flavor not by brewing but by steeping coarse coffee grounds in cold water for 12-24 hours.
The infusion produces a rich, intense concentrate typically cut with a little water before serving. It’s the perfect vehicle for those robust, full-bodied medium and dark roast coffees, and becomes positively luscious with a splash of half-and-half. Any way you drink your java, these local cafes serve brightness on ice.
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
1. Stone Creek
MULTIPLE LOCATIONS | $3.75-$7
All nine cafes have two cold brews on tap – Roy G Biv (fruity and vivid and goes deliciously with lemonade as a cold brew Palmer) and Jet Black (rich and dark, infused with nitrogen gas so it’s slightly frothy, with a flicker of a milkshake’s viscosity). Go to the new Whitefish Bay cafe if you want to have your cold brew mind blown. There they serve a third option, made with a different Reserve roast each month, more complex and rarefied than any of their other brews.
2. Hawthorne
4177 S. HOWELL AVE. | $4-$5
Sweet and oaky, the go-to here is made from coffee beans that have spent 28 absorptive days inside a bourbon barrel. The effect is subtle (and alcohol-free), but there’s no mistaking it in the smoky aroma and caramel sweetness.
Nitrogen gas added to cold brew creates a creamy, extra-thick texture and pronounced sweet flavor. You’ll see this option increasingly offered at cafes. It’s usually served without ice and, because of its velvety quality, it needs no enhancements.
3. Interval
1600 N. JACKSON ST., 2268 S. KINNICKINNIC AVE. | $4
The micro-roaster’s Neighborly Blend (combining Peruvian, Colombian and Guatemalan coffees) translates to smooth, tart, succulent flavor – big rev-your-engine flavor.
4. Pilcrow
416 W. WALNUT | $4-$6
At the tasting room just west of Martin Luther King Drive, you can order a nitro cold brew on tap – straight-up or in one of several creamy, sweet iterations. Using Pilcrow’s own Storyteller Blend, this creamy creation delivers depth and assertive nutty and floral notes. The cafe is also known for offering lavish, dessert-like cold brew flights.
