Iced coffee

Iced coffee as sold in the United States is a cold variant of the normally hot beverage, coffee.

Preparation

Brew coffee, any type, any brew style, any way you desire. Add Ice, and enjoy cold coffee. Some coffeshops freeze coffee, making coffee "ice" cubes, rather than using water ice cubes.

Serving

Depending on the brewing method, iced coffee can be served alread chilled, or poured hot, double strength, over an equal amount of ice. Because sugar does not dissolve readily into cold liquids, it must be added either directly to the hot base, or to the finished product in the form of simple syrup, which can be made by mixing quantities of water and sugar, then simmering over low heat until the desired viscosity is attained. Instead of sugar, most synthetic substitutes such as aspartame (Equal, Nutrasweet) or sucralose (Splenda) will dissolve readily into cold coffee.

Other countries

Australia

In Australia, iced coffee is a flavoured milk drink more similar to Starbucks' Frappuccino in the United States as opposed to simply coffee that has been chilled or cold-brewed. Home made iced coffee is often served with ice cream and whipped cream and is often compared to a milk shake. Some commercial varieties of iced coffee are made from real coffee while others contain only coffee flavouring. Most commercial varieties of Australian iced coffee have 2-3 times the caffeine of Coca-Cola, but less sugar.

Iced coffee has been sold commercially in Australia since the late 19th century in the form of a syrup, and more recently as a prepackaged drink that is ready to consume as soon as it is opened. An example of a ready-made iced coffee is Ice Break, a milk product by Parmalat with added caffeine and flavoured with real coffee.

Farmers Union Iced Coffee alone is the biggest selling flavoured milk product in Australia despite small market penetration outside South Australia, where Farmers Union Iced Coffee is the biggest selling 600 mL drink, outselling Coca-Cola. Convenience Report 2004, ACNielsen (PDF document)

Japan

In Japan, iced coffee (アイスコーヒー ice coffee in Japanese) has been drinken since Taishō period (around 1920s) in coffee shops. It is served with gum syrup and milk. Cold tea was already popular, so it was natural to drink cold coffee. In 1969, UCC Ueshima Coffee released canned coffee, which made coffee available everywhere. Today, canned coffee is drinken both cold and hot, but it was usually drinken cold then.

References

Coffee

Iskaffe | Eiskaffee | アイスコーヒー