Coldbrew 101

6:00:00 AM

Raise your hand if coffee is the best part of your morning.

It certainly is mine! I used to be an exclusively tea kind of lady, but my tastes have evolved over the years. I started out small, drawn to extremely sugary lattes and mochas from Starbucks. The caffeine and sugar combo had me on cloud 9 all day, but after being diagnosed with Celiac Disease, I realized I'm lactose intolerant and possibly completely dairy intolerant. No more foamy goodness for me... Wah Wahhh. 

Starbucks didn't really have any celiac safe milk alternatives that weren't over processed and packed with sugar, so I began to put my Keurig to work every morning and not totally digging the results. I toyed with the idea of buying an espresso machine and steaming my own almond milk, but those things are pricey and I don't have that kind of spare cash lying around. Long story not so short, I was introduced to the coldbrew coffee idea and ran with it. I haven't turned back.

My sister-in-law, Liz, has deemed this beverage the "Elixir of the Gods" and I couldn't agree more.
I literally go to bed thinking about it and am giddy while I prepare my morning mason jar of java. 
I'm addicted and have no shame.

How do you make this elixir, you ask?
It's INSANELY easy, guys.

What you need:

**I just use whatever coffee grounds I find that are gluten free and on sale. Caribou makes for some amazing coldbrew, but Peet's and Starbuck's are also safe for celiacs**

Step 1: Fill the Jar about 3/4 of the way full with filtered water (filtered is optional, unfiltered works just fine). This should be about a gallon, 6 1/2 inches from the bottom. I know, "Great measuring, Sara", but this is how I work. You can join my husband and roll your eyes at me.

Step 2: Cut a piece of cheesecloth just short of 3ft. long, about 35 inches. After you cut the cheesecloth, fold it in half. Doubling up the cheesecloth will keep coffee grounds from sneaking into your coldbrew. Note: after you cut the cheesecloth, shake it out. There will a lot of little pieces coming off from cutting and you don't want that in your coffee. 

Step 3: Pour the entire 12oz bag of ground coffee beans onto your folded piece of cheesecloth.

Step 4: Bunch up the cheesecloth on the top and tie it off with twine.

Step 5: Submerge the cheesecloth bundle in the water of your chosen jar. I like to hold the bundle under the water for about 30 seconds to ensure all the grounds are wet.

Step 6: Put on the jar lid and place the jar in your refrigerator to brew! I leave mine in for 24 hours to get the maximum amount of flavor and potency, but you can adjust this if you like weaker coffee.

Step 7: Add what you want to sweeten it up and DRANK.
Seriously, this stuff is G O O D.

If you guys have any variations you like to add, please tell me! I think once Autumn rolls around, I'll have to do a little tweaking to get my pumpkin spice fix in...

Happy java drinking!

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