ICE-COLD COFFEE IDEAS

Enjoy the summer with ice-cold coffee

Coffee with ice or ice-cold coffee is always a hit. When the temperatures are summery, we all feel like we deserve a treat.

Our 5 Favorites for Iced Coffee

Summer temperatures can be exhausting. That makes a break with a delicious, ice-cold coffee just what you need.

Of course, you can do what the main character, Hirayama, does in Wim Wenders’ wonderful film*Perfect Days*—get a can of cold coffee from the vending machine on your way to work. But if you take a little time, it’s much more enjoyable.

Coffee Affogato

Drenching a scoop of vanilla ice cream with hot espresso (affogare in Italian—to drown) is the quickest way to go when you’re in a hurry. It’s still delicious, though. It’s worth putting the cup or glass in the freezer for a short while beforehand so the ice cream doesn’t melt too quickly in the espresso.

We love making it with some good nut ice cream instead of vanilla ice cream.

“Affogato” with nut ice cream © GloriousMe

Classic iced coffee, just like at a coffeehouse

In this case, it’s the coffee that takes time to prepare. You should brew it ahead of time and then chill it. If you plan to serve iced coffee later in the afternoon, it’s worth considering decaf so that all your guests can enjoy it without worrying about a sleepless night.

In the summer, you usually already have some good vanilla ice cream in the freezer. We tested a few store-bought ice cream flavors to see which one came closest to the taste of our favorite Italian ice cream shop.

We’ve had the best experience with the Giolito variety from Gelateria Ghisolfi, which is produced in the province of Como in Lombardy using hay-fed milk and real Bourbon vanilla.

Then all you need is whipped cream and some good-quality chocolate powder.

Scoop the vanilla ice cream into a tall glass, pour ice-cold coffee over it, and quickly stir with a long ice cream spoon. Top with whipped cream and chocolate powder. Done.

The combination of the ice-cold coffee, with its slightly bitter note, and the sweet vanilla ice cream creates the perfect umami flavor.

Coffee Just Like in Salento

Almond cultivation in Apulia has led to the creation of a range of specialty coffees. Since we love almonds, the following recipe for iced coffee is a favorite at GloriousMe.

‘Salentino’ with toasted almonds © GloriousMe

This requires:

Coffee (with or without caffeine) in a relatively small amount. One large cup is enough for four people.
Raw marzipan
Almond milk—ideally unsweetened, but made from toasted almonds
Vanilla Ice Cream
Sliced almonds
A little raw sugar

Brew the coffee and let it cool.

About two hours before serving, mix the raw marzipan with almond milk. The mixture should form a thick paste. The raw marzipan allows They usually mix well with the almond milk using a fork. Place the mixture in the freezer.

If you want to serve the coffee the way they do in Salento, first caramelize the sliced almonds with a little sugar in a pan and set them aside.

The preparation should then be quick: In a metal bowl (ideally over ice cubes; however, if you work quickly, it will also work in a cool metal bowl), mix the marzipan-almond milk mixture with vanilla ice cream or coffee ice cream and the chilled coffee. You can do this with a fork and a little elbow grease.

Pour the mixture into a glass, top with caramelized almond slivers, and serve immediately. This drink is delicious, especially if you love almonds and marzipan.

In Salento, coffee is enjoyed by the spoonful—it’s a stirred iced coffee. The quality of the marzipan you use is crucial. We’ve had good results with the raw marzipan from Kaffee Wacker or the Lübeck marzipan from Manufactum. You can buy the marzipan there around Christmas time, but it keeps for a very long time in its original packaging. Marzipan from major brands at the supermarket is too sweet.

Cardamom Coffee

Cardamom and coffee are a great combination, whether served hot or cold. If you want to enjoy cardamom coffee cold, you’ll first need cardamom syrup, which is easy to make yourself.

BREAD – ONLY THE BEST QUALITY

Grind the cardamom pods in a mortar and briefly toast them in a pan without any fat. Simmer the toasted cardamom pods and seeds with 200 ml of water and 150 grams of sugar for about 20 minutes. Strain the syrup through a sieve and store it in a glass jar in the refrigerator.

To make cardamom coffee, pour ice-cold coffee into a wide glass and add cardamom syrup to taste. Add a nice, big ice cube and enjoy.

You can also enjoy the remaining syrup on its own over ice or use it in dishes with shrimp, which often pair well with the combination of cardamom and sweetness. In countries like Sweden or Denmark, where cardamom buns are a staple of coffee breaks, you’ll often find this coffee specialty on the menu.

Pure Glamour: Espresso Martini

There’s no recipe for this ice-cold coffee specialty, because this drink is rarely meant to be made at home. But on days when the next morning doesn’t matter—because there’s no important early appointment, but instead vacation and sleeping in are on the agenda—we’d order an espresso martini at a nice bar.

Good bartenders usually have their own take on the standard espresso martini, since the latter consists of espresso, vodka, and coffee liqueur and isn’t really very creative.

We’ve also seen the Espresso Martini on good cocktail menus with rum variations, because the sweetness of many rums pairs very well with espresso, and commercial coffee liqueur doesn’t really do justice to an innovative bartender’s vision.

If the cocktail menu looks good and the next morning is still a long way off, the Espresso Martini’s glamour factor is unbeatable.