Cold Brew Coffee Drinks: Best Ways to Serve your Concentrate

If you want to treat yourself to a delicious coffee beverage, you’ll find this post helpful.

I’m going to share with you how to make some of the best cold brew coffee drinks at home.

No matter what your preferences are, I’m sure that you will like at least one of the flavored beverages on this list.

The cold brew drink recipes, described in this post, are quite easy to make. Some of them are Copycat Starbucks coffees, and others I’ve come up with myself.

Furthermore, I’ve shared some tips on how to make them look cool. So those of you who are looking for aesthetically pleasing and instagrammable beverages may find a few ideas here.

Indeed, there are different ways to serve your cold brew concentrate, so if you have some at hand, why not put those ways to use.

Here you’ll find not only iced, but also hot drink ideas.

Of course, if you don’t know how to make the concentrate that you need for each recipe, I have two guides that you may want to check out first.

One of them is a complete guide on how to make cold brew coffee in a jar, and the other one shows you how to make it in a French press.

Both have step-by-step instructions that will help you get a great cold brew concentrate that you can add to the flavored drinks, described below.

So without further ado, let’s dive in!

Best Cold Brew Coffee Drinks & How to Make Them

Cold brew concentrate is usually diluted with cold water and it’s served over ice cubes.

The other option is to have it diluted with off-the-boil water if you want to enjoy a hot coffee.

Adding a bit of creamer or a splash of milk to your iced or hot cold brew beverage is also common.

Nevertheless, in this guide, I won’t be going over the basics, but try to show you something different and a bit more exciting.

So here are the best cold brew coffee drinks:

1. Iced Almondmilk Cinnamon Cold Brew

The Iced Almondmilk Cinnamon Cold Brew is one of my favorite cold brew coffee drinks, which I often make with cold brew concentrate.

It’s also 100% vegan, so if you’re looking to have a beverage that’s made with plant-based components, this one is one of your best options.

Its made with the following ingredients:

• Cold brew concentrate – 2 fl. oz. to 3 fl. oz. (60 milliliters to 90 milliliters)
• Cinnamon – 1 teaspoon
• Almondmilk – 2 fl. oz. (60 milliliters)
• Vanilla Syrup – 1 to 2 tablespoons.
  
  In case the Almondmilk is sweetened you can add only 1 tablespoon of vanilla syrup, or even skip this recipe component.
  
  Adding a bit of vanilla extract is also an option if you want to cut down the calorie content of this drink.
  
  With that being said, I use the Vanilla Syrup by Monin for all the cold brew drinks that contain this ingredient.
  
  You can check it out on Amazon by clicking here.




If you want to lower the calorie count of your beverage you can also use a sugar-free syrup for coffee.

You can check out my post on the best coffee syrups without sugar to check out my product recommendations in this category.

What’s also worth noting is that for almost all recipes here, I’ve used an affordable battery-operated drink mixer (milk frother), like this one by Zulay.

There are also rechargeable versions, such as the one by FoodVille in the photo below.

Click here to check out its price and more photos on Amazon.

How to make an Iced Cinnamon Almondmilk Cold Brew:

1. Add the vanilla syrup and cinnamon to the Almondmilk.
2. Use a drink mixer or a whisk to mix and froth the milk.
3. Pour the frothed flavored milk over ice cubes in a glass.
4. Pour cold brew concentrate on top.
5. Sprinkle with a bit of cinnamon for decoration.

2. Vietnamese-style Cold Brew

Vietnamese coffee is usually made with a small metal drip filter like this one (Amazon link), and it’s served iced with sweetened condensed milk in it.

That’s why coffee drinks that contain sweetened condensed milk are often referred to as “Vietnamese-style”.

Having this cold brew iced beverage is undoubtedly one of the best reasons to use your cold brew concentrate.

The result is a truly delicious and refreshing drink.

The ingredients that you’re going to need to make a Vietnamese-style cold brew are:

• Sweetened condensed milk – 0.5 to 1 fl. oz. (30 milliliters to 60 milliliters) or 1 to 2 tablespoons.
  
  If you don’t like coffee drinks that are too sweet, a tablespoon would definitely be sufficient to add enough flavor and sweetness.
• Cold Brew Concentrate – 2 fl. oz. to 3 fl. oz. (60 to 90 milliliters).
  
  The amount of concentrate I add to each drink on this list is pretty much the same.
  
  Nevertheless, feel free to adjust how much you add according to your preferences and the strength of your cold brew concentrate.
  
  In my complete cold brew guide (which I linked at the beginning of this post) I recommend either using a 1:6 or 1:8 coffee-to-water ratio when making cold brew concentrate.
  
  So if I use the 1:6 ratio, I usually add only 2 fl. oz. (60 milliliters of cold brew) to a drink.
  
  If the ratio is higher, I add more – around 3 fl. oz. (90 milliliters).
• Water – 4 fl. oz. (120 milliliters).
• Ice Cubes.

Now that you know what this drink is made of, here’s how to make a Vietnamese-style Cold Brew Iced Coffee:

1. Pour the sweetened condensed milk into a glass.
2. Add the cold brew concentrate.
3. Dilute with water.
4. Add ice cubes.
5. Serve with a straw. Before taking a sip, use the straw to stir the condensed milk from the bottom and have it mixed with the coffee.

I like making the Vietnamese-style cold brew in the way, described above because I like the simple, yet aesthetically pleasing, layered look.

The sweetened condensed milk line on the bottom of the glass makes me feel like I’m in a sophisticated cafè.

3. Almondmilk Honey Vanilla Cold Brew

At Starbucks, you can find a Honey Almondmilk Cold Brew, but I decided to add Vanilla Syrup to it, as it gets even better that way.

Here are the ingredients that you’re going to need to make an Almondmilk Honey Vanilla Cold Brew iced coffee:

• Unsweetened Almondmilk – 4 fl. oz. (120 milliliters).
  
  I recommend using lukewarm almondmilk, as the honey (especially if raw) doesn’t dissolve quite well in cold milk.
• Cold Brew Concentrate – 2 fl. oz. to 3 fl. oz. (60 ml to 90 ml)
  

• Honey – 1 tablespoon (around 0.7 oz., 20 grams).
  
  Related Post: Sweetening Coffee With Honey: Should you do it?
• Vanilla Syrup – 1 tablespoon. Again, I’m using Monin’s Vanilla Syrup which I linked earlier. If you don’t have it at hand, feel free to use vanilla extract to add flavor.
• Ice cubes.

So here’s how to make the Almondmilk Honey Vanilla Cold Brew Drink:

1. Add the honey and the vanilla syrup to the almondmilk.
2. Use a drink mixer to combine the ingredients well and froth the milk.
3. Pour the flavored almondmilk in a glass over ice cubes.
4. Add the cold brew concentrate on top.

As you see, if you follow my directions, you will get to make an aesthetically pleasing and yummy cold brew beverage with a nice layered appearance.

Of course, before you take a sip, stir your cold brew coffee drink to be able to enjoy its flavors to the fullest.

4. Salted Caramel Cream Cold Brew

The Salted Caramel Cream is one of the Copycat Starbucks cold brew drinks on this list.

It’s extremely delicious and a perfect treat for anyone who’s a fan of creamy and refreshing coffee beverages.

Here are the recipe components, needed for the making of a Salted Caramel Cream Cold Brew:

• Cold brew concentrate – 3 fl. oz. (90 milliliters).
• Water – 2 fl. oz. (60 milliliters).
  
  As you see, for this cold brew drink I usually use a higher concentrate-to-water ratio.
  
  I think that the stronger coffee flavor suits this beverage better.
• Heavy Whipping Cream – 2 fl. oz. (30 milliliters).
• Caramel Syrup – 2 tablespoons.
  
  I use Monin’s Caramel Syrup for this recipe.
  
  Click here to check it out on Amazon.
  
  You can also use Monin’s salted caramel syrup for this recipe, but I prefer adding a few grains of salt separately.
  
  One tablespoon of the syrup I add to the diluted cold brew concentrate, the other one I add to the heavy cream before frothing it with the hand mixer.
• Salt – to taste.
  
  I add just a few grains of ground Himalayan salt.
  
  You can get a better idea of how much I use by checking out the step-by-step photo guide.
  
  
  Related Post: Why would you add salt to your coffee?
• Ice cubes.

So here’s how to make a Salted Caramel Cream Cold Brew Iced Coffee at Home:

1. Pour cold brew concentrate onto ice cubes in a glass.
2. Dilute with water.
3. Add one tablespoon of caramel syrup to the coffee.
4. Add caramel syrup to the whipping cream.
5. Mix and froth with a hand mixer or a whisk. Froth for as long as you wish, depending on the texture you’d like to achieve. I prefer a bit less viscous, but frothy and nicely textured heavy cream consistency.
6. Add salt.
7. Use the hand mixer again to blend the salt into the heavy cream.
8. Pour the heavy cream on top of the iced coffee.
9. Add a bit of caramel syrup on top to decorate (that’s an optional step).

5. Cinnamon Vanilla Cream Hot Cold Brew

Did you know that cold brew can also be served hot? (click the link to check out a dedicated post on this topic).

You can dilute your cold brew concentrate with steamed milk or hot water, and there you have it – a nice and warm cup of Joe.

The Cinnamon Vanilla Cream Hot Cold Brew is a flavorful drink that you can enjoy when you don’t feel like having an iced coffee.

So here are the ingredients that you’re going to make the Cinnamon Vanilla Cream Hot Cold Brew beverage:

• Cinnamon – 1 teaspoon.
• Vanilla Syrup – 1 to 2 tablespoons.
• Heavy Cream – 1 fl. oz. (30 milliliters).
• Cold Brew Concentrate – 2 fl. oz. or 3 fl. oz. (60 to 90 milliliters).
• Off-the-boil water – 4 fl. oz. (120 milliliters).

And here’s how to prepare a Cinnamon Vanilla Cream Hot Cold Brew:

1. Mix the cinnamon and vanilla syrup with the heavy cream.
2. Use a hand mixer to froth the cream and blend in the cinnamon and vanilla.
3. Boil water.
4. Pour cold brew concentrate and hot water into a cup.
5. Add the flavored heavy cream mixture.
6. Decorate with cinnamon (optional).

6. Sparkling Cold Brew Iced Coffee

The Sparkling Cold Brew Iced Coffee is a pretty simple drink, but I decided to include it anyway.

After all, I’m sure that many of you might’ve never thought of cutting your cold brew concentrate with sparkling water or club soda.

It’s easy to make this refreshing beverage – you just need to dilute 2 to 3 fl. oz. (60 to 90 milliliters) of cold brew concentrate with 3 to 4 fl. oz. (90 to 120 milliliters) of sparkling water.

Feel free to adjust the concentrate-to-water ratio according to your taste.

With that being said, the Sparkling Cold Brew Iced Coffee isn’t very popular, but it’s definitely one of the best and easiest to make cold brew coffee drinks.

7. Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew

The Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew coffee is another Starbucks-inspired drink.

It’s made similar to the aforementioned Salted Caramel Cream Cold Brew.

The ingredients you’re going to need to make Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew at home are:

• Heavy Whipping Cream – 1 fl. oz. (30 milliliters).
• Cold Brew Concentrate – 2 fl. oz. to 3 fl. oz. (60 to 90 milliliters).
• Water – 2 fl. oz. (60 milliliters).
• Vanilla Syrup – 1 to 2 tablespoons.

And here’s how to make a Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew Coffee at home:

1. Add vanilla syrup to heavy whipping cream.
2. Whip with a hand mixer or a whisk.
3. Pour cold brew concentrate into a glass over ice cubes.
4. Dilute concentrate with water.
5. Add the flavored frothed cream on top.

8. Iced Mocha Cold Brew

The Iced Mocha Cold Brew is a chocolate-flavored cold brew coffee that you can easily prepare at home.

Don’t be fooled by its simple looks – this drink truly delicious.

It’s one of the best beverages that you can make with your concentrate, for sure.

To make an Iced Mocha Cold Brew, you need the following ingredients:

• Dark Chocolate Sauce – 1 to 2 tablespoons.
  
  I highly recommend Monin’s dark chocolate gourmet sauce.
  
  Click here to check out its price on Amazon.
  
  I actually have a large 64 fl. oz. bottle with a pump. For each cold brew chocolate drink I add 1 or 2 pumps of the sauce.
  
  
  The Monin dark chocolate gourmet sauce is also vegan.

  By opting for a plant-based milk alternative you can make this delicious coffee drink 100% vegan at home.

  
  Of course, instead of using Monin’s dark chocolate sauce, you can use a homemade chocolate sauce.
  
  Another option would be to add a teaspoon of cacao powder and 2 teaspoons of sugar. These two ingredients will work great as dark chocolate sauce substitutes.
• Milk – 4 fl. oz. (120 ml).
• Cold brew concentrate – 2 fl. oz. to 3 fl. oz. (60 ml to 90 ml).
• Ice cubes.

And now, here’s how to make an Iced Mocha Cold Brew:

1. Add the chocolate sauce to your milk.
2. Mix and froth with a whisk or a drink mixer/milk frother.
3. Pour milk into a glass, filled with ice cubes.
4. Add cold brew concentrate on top.

If you feel like it, you can top off your iced chocolate cold brew drink with whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and/or cacao powder.

9. Cold Brew Tonic

The Cold Brew Tonic is a drink that you can prepare if you’re looking to make something refreshing with your cold brew concentrate.

Tonic water is sweeter than sparkling or soda water. Many people believe that it goes great with coffee.

This beverage is often served with slices of lemon in it.

That’s how I made it too, but bear in mind that some of you may not be a fan of the extra acidity the lemon adds.

To make Cold Brew Tonic, I use 2 slices of lemon, 2 to 3 fl. oz. (60 to 90 milliliters) of cold brew concentrate, and 3 fl. oz. to 4 fl. oz. (90 ml to 120 ml) of tonic water.

10. Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew – Copycat Starbucks Drink

The Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew is a Starbucks fall drink that I love. I am actually a fan of all pumpkin coffee drinks that you can find virtually anywhere, starting from the end of August and the beginning of September. This beverage, in particular, is very flavorful, yummy, and at the same time – easy to make, so I decided to share its recipe.

So here’s my take on the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew recipe.

You’re going to need the following ingredients:

• Pumpkin Spice

– 1 teaspoon.

It’s actually made by mixing 2 parts ground cinnamon, 1 part ground ginger, 1 part allspice, 1 part ground cloves, and 1 part ground nutmeg.


• Pumpkin puree – 1 tablespoon to 2 tablespoons (around 0.5 to 1 ounce, 15 to 30 grams)
• Heavy Whipping Cream – 1 fl. oz. (30 milliliters).
• Vanilla Syrup – 1 to 2 tablespoons.
  
  Again, I use Monin’s Vanilla syrup which you can find on Amazon here.
• Cold brew concentrate – 2 fl. oz. or 3 fl. oz. (60 milliliters or 90 milliliters).
• Water – 2 fl. oz. (60 milliliters).
  
  By the way, I use filtered water to dilute my cold brew concentrate.
  
  My tap water is not too hard and the Brita filter pitcher removes all the chlorine odors from the water. This does improve a drink’s taste.
  
  This may not be as noticeable when you have a coffee beverage such as the Pumpkin Cream Cold brew.
  
  Nevertheless, I usually have my coffee black, so the type of water I use for brewing does have an impact on my cup’s flavor.
  
  If you want to find out more about what’s the best water for coffee, check out this beginner-friendly guide.
• Ice Cubes

And here’s how to make Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew:

1. Add the pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice and the vanilla syrup to the heavy whipping cream.
2. Mix and froth with a drink mixer or a whisk.
3. Pour cold brew concentrate over ice cubes in glass.
4. Dilute with water.
5. Add the frothed flavored cream on top.
6. Sprinkle with pumpkin spice to decorate (optional).

Final Words

I hope that you liked the cold brew drink ideas that I shared with you.

The process of making these beverages is unchallenging, so you can prepare each one of them at home with ease.

The most time-consuming part of the whole process is actually making your cold brew coffee concentrate.

Nevertheless, the guides on how to make cold brew coffee that I linked at the beginning of this post, are also very helpful and make the whole brewing process rather effortless.

And once you have the concentrate, it’s a matter of a few minutes to quickly craft one of the delicious beverages on my best cold brew drinks list.

Anyway, leave me a comment below to let me know whether you’ve tried out some of my recommendations recipes.