Nitro cold brew coffee

Production of Nitro cold brew coffee begins with the making of cold brew coffee, a process that can take up to 24 hours.[2] Once the grounds are adequately steeped, the coffee is put into a room temperature bottle or keg.[3] As the cold brew is poured, it is charged with nitrogen to give it a rich, creamy head of foam, similar to draft beer. Though most beers and soft drinks are infused with carbon dioxide, nitrogen is occasionally used, for example in darker stouts, resulting in a smoother finish. This is a direct effect of nitrogen bubbles being smaller in size than those of carbon dioxide, resulting in a beverage with a thicker mouthfeel.[4] Nitro cold brew is typically served chilled, without ice as to not damage the foamy top.[3]

Nitro cold brew was first offered at third wave coffee shops in the early 2010's, but the exact origin is disputed. The process is said by Men's Journal to have originated in 2013 at craft coffee houses Cuvee Coffee in Austin, Texas and Stumptown in Portland, Oregon.[5] However, Esquire gives credit to the draft coffee at The Queens Kickshaw in New York in 2011 as a predecessor.[6] Stumptown and Cuvee began offering canned beverages with a nitrogen disc, a hollow piece of plastic compressed with nitrogen in order to pressurize the can,[7] by 2015.[8][9] Starbucks introduced the beverage at 500 stores in the summer of 2016,[10][11] preceded in the Los Angeles market by The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf.[12] Nitro cold brew is available from wholesalers in some markets in kegs. A New York company says it can fill up to 1,500 kegs a day of nitro cold brew coffee.[13]

Though cold brew has quickly rose in popularity, nitro cold brew's dispensing system has made becoming more widely consumed difficult. Despite that, Dunkin Donuts’ and Tim Hortons have joined Starbucks in offering the beverage, allowing for access to mainstream consumers.[14] Along with the slow rise in popularity, many companies have begun to sell at-home nitrogen infusers such as mini-kegs or whipped cream nitrogen canisters.[15]

Nitro cold brew is less acidic due to the low brew temperatures. Acid appears when the coffee beans are brewed around 195-205 degrees Fahrenheit, but nitro cold brew is brewed at lower temperatures. The beans for nitro coffee also infuse for much longer, sometimes days.[16] [17] Though lower acidity levels found in cold brew coffee can be good for digestion, the acids found in hot coffee may cause higher activity of antioxidants. [18]

Nitro cold brew can be higher in caffeine than brewed coffee, but the two typically share a similar nutritional content.[19] Though caffeine is better produced in hotter temperatures, cold brew recipes often call for a higher bean to coffee ratio compensating for the lower temperature. [20] A 16-ounce cup of Nitro cold brew contains 280 mg of caffeine, not including cream or sugar.[21]

• Jarvis, Lisa M.; Morrison, Jessica (2015-10-24). "What's nitro cold brew, and why is it so damn delicious?". Chemical & Engineering News.
• Calderone, Julia; Bartels, Meghan (2016-06-01). "Why Starbucks is pumping nitrogen into its coffee". Business Insider.