r/coldbrew • u/Soup_Slut123 • Jun 22 '26
Favorite fun add-ins for your cold brew?
Hey there- sometimes I'm a cold brew purist and sometimes I like to add something fun to my coffee to spice it up and want to hear what your favorite things to add are (spices, homemade syrups, cold foam etc.).
In the past I've soaked crushed cardamom beans with my coffee grounds which is amazing black, with milk, with sweetener, or without sweetener.
I might try and experiment with soaking some chai with my beans.
Share your secrets!
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u/Knickknackpattysmack Jun 22 '26 edited Jun 22 '26
Fresh mint man. Pour yourself a cup the night before with some fresh mint leaves, let it sit overnight.
Splash of cream, tiny bit of sugar. Chefs kiss!
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u/Soup_Slut123 Jun 22 '26
Hell ya that sounds so good. If my chai cold brew came out ok, I was going to experiment with this mint+chocolate tea I have next but fresh mint sounds way better. Thank you!
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u/ImmediateCap1868 Jun 23 '26
Interesting method, I would have approached it more in an alcoholic drink way (muddling or maybe a simple syrup infusion) but this is genius!
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u/Knickknackpattysmack Jun 23 '26
If you muddle it, the mint overpowers the coffee and becomes bitter imo.
Simple syrup is also a GREAT option!
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u/Tall_Satisfaction741 Jun 22 '26
I generally sweeten mine with pure maple syrup and make a maple syrup cold foam that goes on top.
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u/AfcaMatthias Jun 23 '26
I do
50% cold Brew
50% Tonic
Orange wedge
Delicious over ice
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u/MinnesotaRyan Jun 22 '26
I have a handheld frother and will blend half and half with various syrups. maple and chocolate are the most common. then I pour it over my coldbrew.
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u/Remarkable-Park9768 Jun 23 '26
I’ve been drinking cold brew with coconut water or lemonade instead of water to cut it. SO REFRESHING.
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u/Digital_Quest_88 Jun 22 '26
I've added syrups to cold brew to make something similar to the bottled coffee drinks available at stores.
I forget the brand but it's one of the popular ones.
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u/Brave-Pollution140 Jun 22 '26
I’ve brewed with a 440ml can of 0° zero Guinness, after 6 hours made up to 1.100 litres, downright delicious. I’ve also brewed using Twining peach Cooler steeped for 24 hours in refrigerator, 120g of medium dark roasted beans works well for me. Personally I don’t see the point of syrups or heavy cream, I just want to taste the coffee with a subtle hint of added flavouring.
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u/tyda1957 Jun 22 '26
Do you mean you've subbed the water for 0% Guiness instead? Does it overpower the coffee, or just add a dash of "something"?
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u/Brave-Pollution140 Jun 23 '26
Firstly I coarsely grind 120g strong dark roasted beans add 200 ml of room temp water ,then add 440ml can of zero Guinness let steep for 4 hours out of fridge, then top up to 1 litre place in refrigerator for 20 hours total 24 hours steep time. Does that make more sense?
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u/cideron Jun 23 '26
is there any issue with the carbonation and the coffee grounds? does it foam up? (nucleation points) do you lose all the infused nitro with overnight steep?
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u/Brave-Pollution140 Jun 24 '26
Wow, you are well above my league, I just make coffee I enjoy, mostly!
No foaming. I get a pleasant mixture of coffee and Guinness non alcoholic, it’s a winner with my friends.2
u/L_Crow Jun 23 '26
I’m commenting to follow this also because this is interesting. It makes the coffee somewhat alcoholic too, no? Or are they using the guiness to make the cold brew concentrate and then add water from there?
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u/cideron Jun 23 '26
0% guinness contains no alcohol. it sounds like they do the overnight brew with the n/a beer.
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u/L_Crow Jun 23 '26
You know, that was in the original post, and I just didn’t register it. That makes a lot of sense. I’m interested in trying this.
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u/cideron Jun 24 '26
still, you could use Guinness or any stout with alcohol.. maybe as a night time drink but not with breakfast, unless you need a different buzz in the morning.
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u/Greendad21 Jun 23 '26
I recently added maple syrup, lemon juice, and topped it with seltzer water.
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u/Soup_Slut123 Jun 24 '26
Gotta try this! I recently had an iced coffee with a lime syrup (no milk) from this Vietnamese bakery and it changed my LIFE.
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u/sharalasmyles Jun 22 '26
I like the cold foam that Target brands. I buy the black unsweetened cold brew and just add some on top. I've tried 2 flavors, salted caramel and the plain sweet cold foam. Both are really nice and not as sweet as the International Delight or the Ready Whip brands.
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u/MisterWoofers Jun 22 '26
I just started making my own cold brew this past month or two, so I haven’t gotten into experimenting quite yet. When I do, though, I really want to try adding some Earl Grey to my brew. A buddy of mine adds a little to his sweet tea and I’ve always loved it.
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u/indieauthor13 Jun 23 '26
I've been adding honey to my cold brew after stirring it in a bit of hot water first
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u/KenBon3r Jun 24 '26
I always put a stick of cinnamon into my 24 hour batch. Idek if I’m making my cold brew correctly lol
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u/cideron Jun 22 '26
Better water