What is Nitro Cold Brew, Where to Get Them, & How to Make Your Own?

In as much as there are lots of drinks that can help you jumpstart your day, like protein shakes or green smoothies, there’s still no beating a good cup of coffee. If you go around asking the buffest of the lot in your local gym, they’ll even tell you the many ways coffee affects your workout positively.

While you’re seeing almost everyone clutching a large iced coffee this summer season, there’s a growing trend among coffee lovers. Nitro cold brew coffee may well be one of the most popular drinks these days, largely because it has been marketed as a healthier coffee option.

What is nitro cold brew and what does it taste like?

Nitro coffee is cold brew infused with nitrogen, which gives it a rich and creamy head. The same technique is used for some draft beers like Guinness because nitrogen can extract sweet flavors from a darker stout and give it a smoother finish. The frothy, foam-like texture and the thick yet smooth mouthfeel, as well as the natural sweetness of the brew of the nitro coffee, makes sugar and creamers unnecessary.

What makes it a healthier option?

With nitro cold brew, it’s more than just the latest coffee fad. There are various health benefits that come with choosing this cold brew rather than your regular brew.

Fewer calories

If you’re the type to count your calories, drinking this will significantly help you reduce your daily intake. The foam that forms when you add nitrogen to your coffee hits your tongue at places that bring out the natural flavors of the brew. By doing so, your taste buds perceive a sweetness to the coffee without adding any sweetener to it at all.

Less acidic

Cold brew coffee, in general, is less acidic because it takes hours, even days, to steep the beans. Coffee served this way is going to be less sour to the taste, richer, and shouldn’t be harsh to your gut. This is the perfect choice for those prone to hyperacidity, but still, need the caffeine boost for energy.

Regular coffee already aids in weight loss by increasing your metabolism and fat burning. The added nitrogen just makes it easy for you to stick to the good fats like almond milk and avoiding the bad stuff like sugar.

How to make your own nitro cold brew?

For all of these reasons, a lot of gyms are offering nitro cold brew coffee as an extra perk for becoming a member. But you shouldn’t make the lack of gym membership an excuse to start taking advantage of the health benefits of cold brew.

While you’ll need special equipment (whip cream dispenser will do) to infuse the coffee with nitrogen, you can start making your own batch of cold brew until then.

Combine around 4 cups of water to 4 ounces of coarse ground coffee, then stir. Refrigerate for 18-24 hours.
After steeping, pour the mixture over cheesecloth or a strainer to separate the grounds from the coffee.
Transfer the coffee to a cleaner container. You can start adding almond milk or plant-based sweeteners if you want. If you already have the nitro coffee dispenser (usually sold in baking stores), you’ll need to let the coffee go through the nitrogen tap. The restrictor plate in the tap squeezes the drink into tiny holes which give the drink its smooth and frothy texture.