Top 3 cold summer drinks
Hi there, summer has finally arrived in Mikkeli! For the past few days, the temperature has been brushing up against thirty degrees, so naturally, we’ve been selling a lot of cold coffee drinks at the café. It must be hot for Olli over at the roastery, but fortunately, the café is cool thanks to the air source heat pump and our refreshing cold drinks.
So, what are our customers drinking in this heat? Below is a list of our café's most popular coffee (and not-so-coffee) drinks this summer.
1. Iced Latte
The classic among cold coffee drinks. This is our best-seller on hot summer days, and no wonder, as you can customize your iced latte to suit your own taste; many people choose to add a flavored syrup for some sweetness. The iced latte works with plant-based milks as well as dairy, and it can be made with a single, double, or even triple shot of espresso if needed!
2. Iced Strawberry Matcha Latte
Iced Strawberry Matcha Latte – quite a mouthful to say! 🍓 But don't be intimidated, this hit is worth the name: sweet strawberry, ice to bring the freshness, and high-quality matcha on top – perfect! We found this trending drink in the depths of TikTok and wanted to add it to our menu. The caffeine content in matcha is generally a bit lower than in coffee, so this also suits those who don't avoid caffeine but still want a bit less than what you’d get in a coffee.
What on earth is matcha?
Matcha is indeed Japanese green tea ground into a very fine powder. Matcha differs from regular green tea in that when you consume the whole tea leaf in powder form, you are also enjoying all the nutrients and antioxidants present in the tea. Nothing goes to waste, so to speak!
The high-quality matcha we use comes from TeeMaa, just like our other tea varieties used in the café. They curate a unique selection of the finest tea varieties, directly from local producers in China, Japan, and Nepal.
3. Cold Brew
Cold brew coffee gets its flavor from an extraction time of at least eight hours in the cold! You can customize this drink exactly how you like: enjoy it black, mix it with milk or oat drink, or perhaps even mix it with a sparkling beverage! You can also splash in some flavored syrup if you're in the mood!
At the café, we usually extract cold brew using light and medium roast coffees (read: Kesäkahvi is pretty much the best for this) to bring out all those soft and sweet notes! And hey, here is a recipe if you want to test out your own cold extractions at home:
Extraction time: 8–12 hours
Quantity: 1 liter
Weigh and measure: 150 g of coffee, 1 l of water
Grind: Coarser than filter grind. Because the coffee extracts for such a long time, it’s better to choose a coarse grind or, alternatively, reduce the extraction time to 8 hours.
Anything else: A cold brew bottle or a French press works well as an extraction vessel. Alternatively, you can extract the coffee in any suitable container and strain the coffee grounds out at the end.
Storage: The coffee keeps in the fridge for about a week in an airtight bottle or container.
Instructions: Place the coffee grounds in your chosen container and pour the cold water over them. Extract for about 8–12 hours at room temperature or in the fridge. That’s it, you’re done. The cold brew is ready to be enjoyed! You can add milk or flavored syrups to the cold brew according to your taste, and we definitely recommend adding ice to keep the drink ice-cold and refreshing!
Craving these summery cold drinks? Try them at home or head over to the Nuijamies café to enjoy our top 3 cold summer drinks OR another option like an affogato, iced americano, or espresso tonic. We do, of course, make hot coffee drinks during the summer as well, but I have to say, we sell more cold ones when the heat hits!