Japanese-style infusion (aisukōhī)

The fashion today is for iced coffees , the summer temperatures have something to do with it. At Brûlerie du Quai, we are fans and proud followers of the Japanese method.

Japanese Cold Brew differs from iced coffees obtained after cold infusion. You should know that the infusion method of Japanese Cold Brew is completely different... and in our opinion, better.

To have Japanese-style iced coffee, we use the regular preparation technique - filtered - which simply consists of pouring hot water directly onto freshly ground coffee which will pass through the filter. The latter is placed in a filter installed on the top of the coffee maker. Coffee is the drink that will pass through the filter.

How to start from this preparation and obtain a cold coffee?

Quite simply by putting ice cubes at the bottom of the carafe: when the infusion which passes through the filter flows onto the ice cubes, the latter cool it almost immediately.

The advantage of Japanese Cold Brew over other methods of preparing iced coffee is that it recovers as much of the aromas, tastes and oils from the bean as possible through the use of hot water. You will understand that to make an iced infusion with an exceptional local coffee, it is wise to choose the Japanese method to preserve as much as possible the characteristic features of the local area.

The result is a very cold coffee with a brilliant texture and almost intact aromas. These particular tastes and essences of each original coffee are enhanced by the ice : the lemony or fruity notes are felt as fresher (peppermint effect).

Important note: you must calculate your water/coffee ratio taking into account the quantity of ice cubes.

Detailed explanation

If for example you take one of our coffees, let's say the Bad Boy espresso blend and you start with a ratio of 1:16 to make two nice 16oz (500ml/g) glasses of cold coffee.

So for 500g of water you will need 32g of coffee. The subtlety of the method is that you will divide the quantity of water in 2, to put:

250g of ice in the bottom of your carafe! Afterwards, you will make your infusion by putting 250g of hot water on the grounds, following the basic principle of filter preparation.

Afterwards, you will have a nice cold coffee that you can pour into a glass, add a little milk, syrup, according to your tastes.

The alternative to Japanese Cold Brew

The other method of preparing cold coffee, Cold Brew or typical iced coffee , involves steeping ground coffee in cold water for 12 to 18 hours (or in very iced water for 4 to 12 hours).

The liquid obtained is then a coffee concentrate: we put it in the refrigerator while waiting to serve it to the guests. When serving, dilute with cool water, ice cubes or cold milk (or anything else you fancy).

Cold (or iced) water will not draw out all the subtleties of the ground grain: the final drink completely lacks acidity and bitterness . Many use basic espresso coffee, because they focus more on the aroma of the liquid that will be used to dilute (but only want to retain the basic taste of the coffee).

So, let's infuse the Japanese way: it's like drinking filter coffee rich in aromas, but which is pleasantly much more refreshing.

PS: (aisu kōhī) is the Japanese pronunciation of Iced Coffee (yes, you just learned something new)