In the warm months, we love a good, cold caffeine kick to perk us up like the next sleep-deprived person. But any ol’ hot-brewed coffee watered down with ice cubes won’t cut it.
Cold brew is worth the extra price for its smoothness and, with the (fluffy) rise of cold foam and all its flavors, it has never been more fun.
And it’s even more playful lately. Local coffee shops are experimenting with creative cold concoctions like never before, and these highly unique creations are worth checking out around the 914.
Cold Brew Float: Summers Affogato
While affogato — a heavenly pairing of gelato and espresso — is a gift to humankind, there’s a cool summer version that has our spirits levitating. The cold brew float is a riff on the root beer float, but with cold brew coffee. It’s not necessarily gelato, but even with ice cream, we’re all in. The beloved community institution of Peekskill Coffee, located firmly in the heart of the northern city’s downtown, has a 16-ounce cold brew with vanilla ice cream, and Bluestone Lane in Armonk also has it under that very same name. The coastal Australian chain uses its signature Flagstaff coffee immersed in water for 12 hours to extract a rich concentrate that then mingles with vanilla ice cream.
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Cracking Cold Brew
While Bobo’s Café, with several locations including at the Chappaqua train station, made a funny Instagram reel about how this viral chocolate shell trend doesn’t work, the coffee creation is still spreading around the county. The Snackery Bake Shop in downtown Rye started with the Cracking Frozen Hot Chocolate and has since evolved (or expanded) into offering the cold brew version, where liquid chocolate covers the inside walls of the to-go cup. Once it cools and hardens, baristas pour cold brew inside and top it with whipped cream. Then it’s up to you to squeeze that cup to break up the chocolate wall into pieces that you grab onto and chew as you sip. TikTok is blowing up with this #crackinglatte trend, even as many who try it aren’t fully convinced.
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Spiked Coffee Drinks
Move over espresso martini and Irish coffee; hard iced lattes have entered the building. Well, they have at The Granola Bar, with locations in Rye, New York City, and several in Connecticut. The brunch, lunch, and more recently dinner spot has a drink menu just as long as its food menu, and each item is thoughtfully crafted and presented with care.
The Granola Bar’s hard iced latte menu may be four deep, but it’s true none of them are actually cold brews. The OG has espresso, vodka, Bailey’s, Frangelico, orange bitters, simple syrup, and almond milk though, so no complaints. The hard Turkish latte also starts with espresso and vodka but then incorporates Disaronno, bitters, vanilla almond milk, cardamom, and cinnamon. The hard matcha latte and hard chai latte aren’t even coffee-based, but yes, they’re usually on coffee menus.
Twelve5 Co.’s Rebel Hard Coffee may come in a can and be available in only Connecticut stores, but it’s dangerously delicious with five percent alcohol per volume and 45 milligrams of caffeine (typical for a cup of coffee). Flavors come labeled as lattes: vanilla, mocha, salted caramel, and maple pecan.
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Related: Here’s Where to Get Your Cold Brew Coffee Fix in Westchester
