In the last blog post we talked about cold brew coffee - what it is, why it's good, and how to make it.
Now, let’s chat about nitro coffee and how it adds on to the awesomeness of cold brew.
Nitro coffee takes already prepared cold brew coffee and nitrogenates (maybe an invented word, who knows) it to change the texture and body or mouth feel of the coffee. Nitrogen is dissolved into the coffee through pressure, time, and some agitation. When poured, the nitrogen is released from the coffee over a few minutes, producing a cascading effect similar to a Guinness poured from a tap. The nitrogen in the poured cold brew creates a head on the coffee, giving it a pleasant creaminess, also providing a thick texture for the first few minutes.
While it is possible to make nitro coffee at home, it isn't necessarily practical. When we make Nitro Coffee, we first make some top notch cold brew coffee and then keg it. The keg is then pressurized with pure nitrogen, and after the required time and agitation it is served through a stout faucet which helps to produce the cascading effect. You may think that Guinness beer and nitro coffee are the same; however, a stout beer is pressurized with 70% Nitrogen and 30% CO2, while nitro coffee uses 100% Nitrogen. This means that there is no “fizz” that you might expect in nitro coffee.
So what are the advantages of nitro coffee? Firstly, it’s a smoother experience than typical coffee. Low acidity, coupled with the nitrogen infusion also mellows out the flavour for a more relaxing feel. Conversely, it also gives a bit more kick, with approximately 30% more caffeine than a comparable cup of traditional coffee. Finally, nitro coffee is consumed straight, cutting out the need for cream, sugar, or the mountain of calories that come along with either of them.
We are making great efforts this summer to bring nitro coffee to the Lakeland area, not only for you coffee nerds to enjoy, but for everyone to have a try. If you have a café that you'd like to see our coffee or nitro coffee at, drop us a line. In the mean time, our next pop-up will be at the Cold Lake Air Show. See you there!