Nitro Cascade Cold Brew Coffee
Nitro Cold Brew
Cold brew charged with nitrogen and poured from a tap: velvety, creamy and cascading, like a stout.
Nitro cold brew is cold-brewed coffee infused with nitrogen and served from a draft tap, with no ice.
Sensory profile
You should taste
How it unfolds
Where it sits
That is 205 mg in one serving (12 oz glass), a concentration of 57.7 mg per 100 ml. The scale above ranks whole servings, and servings differ in size, so a larger drink can sit further right while being weaker cup for cup.
Editorial estimate, not a laboratory measurement
Compare it against
Related gear
| Brewing method | Cold Brew Keg with N2 Charger Tap |
|---|---|
| Coffee-to-water ratio | 1:8 (concentrate, diluted about 1:1) |
| Dose & yield | 100g → 800g |
| Grind size | Extra Coarse (French Press / Rock Salt size) |
| Water temperature | 59°F / 15°C |
| Target brew time | 18-24 Hours Immersion |
| Serving | 12 oz glass |
What you need
- 100 g freshly roasted coffee, ground coarse (like rock salt)
- 800 g cold filtered water
- About 600 g more cold filtered water to dilute the concentrate
- Nitrogen gas for the keg
Required gear
- Large jar or immersion vessel of 2 L
- Burr grinder set coarse
- Coarse mesh and a fine filter or cloth
- Scale accurate to 1 g
- Keg system with nitrogen and a stout-style tap
Step-by-step protocol
- 0:00Grind 100 g of coffee coarse and stir it into 800 g of cold filtered water until every particle is wet.
- 0:05Cover and steep for 18 to 24 hours, in the refrigerator or at cool room temperature.
- 18:00Strain through a coarse mesh to remove most of the grounds, then again through paper or fine cloth for a clean concentrate.
- 18:20Dilute the concentrate about one to one with cold filtered water, and chill it to around 4°C.
- 18:30Fill a clean keg and purge the air. Connect the nitrogen and the stout-style tap, setting the pressure as your system recommends.
- 18:45Pour chilled and without ice, and let the cascade settle before drinking.
Troubleshooting
What it may be good for
Caffeine, in numbers
We list about 205 mg for a 12 oz glass, much more than the roughly 95 mg of an 8 oz cup of brewed coffee. A long cold steep can extract more caffeine than a short hot brew of the same volume, so a 12 oz glass is worth counting as more than one coffee.
Serve it cold, not iced
Nitro cold brew is served chilled but without ice, because ice breaks up the foamy head. Let it settle for a moment after pouring so the cascade can finish.
What to watch out for
- Caffeine affects everyone differently. If you are pregnant or nursing, sensitive to caffeine, or have been told to limit it, check with your doctor about how much is right for you.
Nitro cold brew is cold-brewed coffee infused with nitrogen and served from a draft tap, with no ice. The tiny bubbles cascade into a creamy head and a velvety, naturally sweet mouthfeel, with the chocolate, caramel and nutty notes that cold brew often shows.
Origin & Story
Cold brew is coffee made without heat. Coarse grounds sit in cold or room-temperature water for 12 to 24 hours, and the result is smooth, sweet and low in sharpness. The method has old roots: the Dutch brought it to Japan, where slow cold-drip coffee became known as Kyoto-style, or Dutch coffee.
Nitro came much later. Cuvée Coffee in Austin, Texas, served nitro cold brew on tap at an event on 14 August 2012, and Stumptown in Portland, Oregon, may have introduced it around 2013. Both later offered cans with nitrogen-filled capsules, and in 2016 Starbucks began serving nitro cold brew in 500 stores. The exact origin is still disputed.
The coffee is poured from a nitrogen beer tap, chilled but without ice, which would damage the foamy top. The nitrogen forms tiny bubbles that rise through the glass as a cascade and settle into a creamy head, like a draft stout, and they give the coffee a smooth, silky mouthfeel quite different from ordinary cold brew.
Cold brew and acidity are often misunderstood. Cold brew has about the same overall acidity as hot-brewed coffee, though less of the acid that tastes sharp, which is why it tastes smoother.
The recipe here makes a concentrate: 100 g of coarse coffee in 800 g of water, steeped for 18 to 24 hours, strained twice and diluted about one to one with cold water. It is then chilled and charged with nitrogen at the tap.
Reading the Flavor Profile
| Axis | Score |
|---|---|
| Sweetness | 75/100 |
| Acidity | 20/100 |
| Bitterness | 30/100 |
| Body | 95/100 |
| Aroma | 80/100 |
These values are comparative editorial positions within our own catalog, calibrated so entries can be ranked against each other. They are not laboratory measurements.
How much caffeine is in Nitro Cascade Cold Brew Coffee?
One serving, 12 oz glass, contains approximately 205 mg of caffeine.
What temperature should I use for Nitro Cascade Cold Brew Coffee?
This drink is made with water at about 15°C (59°F) and time, not heat. Cold extraction is slow by design, so the steep runs for many hours; warmer water is faster but brings out more bitterness.
How long should Nitro Cascade Cold Brew Coffee be extracted?
Timing: 18-24 Hours Immersion. Method: Cold Brew Keg with N2 Charger Tap. Ratio: 1:8 Brew Ratio (100g coarse coffee to 800ml water). Grind or leaf format: Extra Coarse (French Press / Rock Salt size).
Why does my Nitro Cascade Cold Brew Coffee taste bitter?
Cold brew turns bitter when it steeps too long or the grind is too fine. Past about 20 hours you gain bitterness rather than strength, so grind coarser or shorten the steep, and raise the dose if the result tastes weak.
What does nitro do to cold brew?
Nitrogen creates tiny bubbles that give the coffee a smooth, creamy texture and a foamy head, like a draft stout, without adding milk or sugar.
Can I make nitro cold brew at home?
It needs a keg and a nitrogen system with a stout-style tap, like the one used for draft beer. The cold brew is easy to make at home, but the nitrogen part needs equipment.
Who should avoid Nitro Cascade Cold Brew Coffee?
Caffeine affects everyone differently. If you are pregnant or nursing, sensitive to caffeine, or have been told to limit it, check with your doctor about how much is right for you. This information is educational and is not medical advice. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, managing a cardiac or gastrointestinal condition, or taking prescription medication, discuss caffeine and botanical intake with a qualified healthcare professional before making changes.
What people say
Baratza Encore Conical Burr Grinder
In this recipe: Burr grinder set coarse
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