How to Make Cold Brew and Nitro Cold Brew in Your Café

Two drinks, one brew method—easy, smooth, and seriously popular.

Cold brew coffee isn’t just a summer trend—it’s become a staple offering in cafés all year round. It’s smoother, less acidic, and naturally sweeter than hot-brewed coffee, making it a hit with customers. Want to take it a step further? Add nitrogen and you’ve got a show-stopping nitro cold brew that pours like a Guinness and drinks like silk.

Best of all - With one simple brewing setup, you can offer both.

The best coffee for cold brew is typically a medium to dark roast with a smooth, low-acid profile. Blends work best, offering balance and consistency, while single origins like Brazil, Colombia, and Guatemala also perform well thanks to their chocolatey, nutty, or fruity notes. Flavour-wise, look for chocolate, caramel, nuts, and mild fruit — avoid high-acid coffees unless you want a brighter, niche style.

Ublend® can help you choose or create the perfect cold brew blend for your café, whether you're after bold and rich or smooth and fruity. We supply custom cold brew coffee, ready-to-brew or ready-to-serve, all under your brand.

Start With a Cold Brew Maker

Whether you choose the iKegger Cold Brew Coffee Maker or the Toddy® system, both are perfect for café use—simple, efficient, and scalable.

What you need:

• Coarse-ground coffee

• Filtered water

• iKegger Cold Brew Bucket or Toddy system

  

• Filter bags or reusable mesh filters

Brew method:

• Combine ground coffee and water in a 1:5 to 1:8 ratio (by weight).

• Stir gently and let it steep for 12–24 hours in a cool space or fridge.

• Strain through a filter to remove all coffee grounds.

Once brewed, you’ve got a rich cold brew concentrate you can use in two ways:

Option 1: Classic Cold Brew

Serve your cold brew as-is—clean, refreshing, and easy.

How to serve:

• Dilute the concentrate 1:1 or 1:2 with cold filtered water.

• Serve over ice.

• Optional: Add milk, alt-milk, or syrup if requested.

This version is great for fast service and customers who want a smooth, chilled coffee without bitterness.

Option 2: Nitro Cold Brew

For something a little more premium, inject your cold brew with nitrogen. It transforms the drink into a creamy, cascading experience—no milk required.

What you need:

• iKegger Mini Keg System (5L or 10L)

• Nitrogen regulator + N2 gas bulbs or small cylinder

• iKegger 2.0 Stout Tap

Infusion method

• Pour your brewed cold brew into the mini keg.

• Seal it and charge with nitrogen at around 30–40 PSI.

• Let it sit for a few hours to absorb the gas.

• Serve through a stout tap for that signature creamy head.

• Nitro cold brew looks and drinks like a craft beer—customers love the texture, the look, and the taste.

Why Use iKegger?

The iKegger Cold Brew & Nitro Coffee Keg Package gives cafés everything needed to brew and serve both cold brew and nitro cold brew in one compact, under-$600 setup. It includes:

• A 10L cold brew bucket with filter and funnel

• A mini keg (choose 5L, 10L, or insulated)

• iKegger 2.0 tap system

• Multi-gas regulator and nitrogen bulbs

• Cleaning and sanitising gear

It’s a smart way to expand your drink menu with minimal equipment and no ongoing complexity.

Bonus Tip

Use signage and tasting notes to promote both options. Cold brew and nitro cold brew aren’t just drinks—they’re conversation starters. Get your team behind it and it will sell itself.