Pursuing the Original Flavor of Coffee: Ethiopian Natural Process - Aricha, How to Make Cold Brew Coffee

Professional Coffee Knowledge Exchange

What is Ice Drip Coffee?

Ice drip coffee, also known as water-drip coffee or iced brewed coffee, is a method of making coffee beverages. Ice drip coffee uses ice water, cold water or ice cubes to extract coffee. The process is very slow, often taking several hours, which makes ice drip coffee relatively expensive.

The Art of Making Ice Drip Coffee

The key to making ice drip coffee lies in "cold" and "slow." The ice water in the container at the top of the equipment, controlled by a valve, moistens the coffee powder drop by drop. The coffee liquid is filtered once and gradually collected in the pot at the bottom. The entire extraction process takes about half a day.

The Principle Behind Cold Brew Coffee

The principle of cold brew coffee is based on the compatibility of coffee itself with water, using the gradual melting of ice cubes for extraction. The extracted coffee presents different flavor characteristics depending on factors such as coffee roasting degree, water amount, water temperature, water-drop speed and coffee grind coarseness.

Exceptional Flavor Profile

The coffee powder is 100% low-temperature soaked and moistened, resulting in coffee that is aromatic, smooth and rich—truly admirable. The flavors presented are outstanding. By adjusting the water-drop speed and using cold water for slow dripping, the original coffee flavor is naturally reproduced through low-temperature dripping at 5°C over an extended period.

Advantages and Recommendations

Advantages: with cold-water ice drip, where the coffee powder is first moistened with cold water before dripping, the resulting coffee is not acidic or astringent. After storing in the refrigerator for one to three days, the slightly fermented taste makes the coffee sweeter and smoother, reminiscent of whiskey's richness, while the flavor layers stay distinct, as rich and varied as pour-over. Recommended coffee beans are FrontStreet Coffee's Mandheling and FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe.

Water Speed Control

Water speed: adjust the drip speed to a slow rate of 1 drop every 2 seconds. Before dripping, the coffee powder must be completely moistened to avoid channeling, which would prevent water drops from passing evenly through all the coffee powder. If the water flow is too fast, extraction will be insufficient, resulting in weak coffee without aroma. Conversely, if the flow is too slow, the coffee will ferment, producing sour or wine-like flavors.

Yirgacheffe: Ethiopia's Premium Coffee Region

Yirgacheffe is one of the regions in Ethiopia with the highest water content.

FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe

FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe beans are petite in size but possess a unique fresh floral aroma and soft fruit acidity, like a spirited woman—clean, elegant, gentle, refined and sweetly charming. FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe has always enjoyed a high reputation among coffee connoisseurs, deeply fascinating many coffee lovers.

FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe Natural Aricha Ice Drip Data Sharing

Water-to-powder ratio: the ratio of coffee powder to ice is approximately 1:6-8 (100g of coffee powder extracts 600-800cc of ice drip coffee), adjustable to personal preference.

Grinding Recommendations

Grinding: it is recommended to grind the coffee powder finely to increase the contact area between coffee powder and water.

Flavor and Mouthfeel

Flavor and mouthfeel: mature fruit flavors, floral notes mixed with honey-like sweet aroma, soft fruit acidity, citrus taste, rich and layered yet refreshing.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

For the low-and-slow extraction this article describes, FrontStreet Coffee's Ethiopian range fits especially well. The washed Yirgacheffe named above is the classic daily bean: white jasmine, bright citrus and lemon acidity and a clean tea-like body, at a friendly price—and because it is so clean, it stays refreshing even after hours of cold dripping. If it is the natural, fruit-forward character that drew you to Aricha, FrontStreet Coffee's Natural Red Cherry uses whole ripe red cherries dried on raised beds for three to five weeks and shows tropical fruit aroma with citrus acidity, berry juiciness, honey sweetness and a creamy texture; FrontStreet Coffee's Natural Huakui, from the Hambela area of Guji in Sidamo and sun-dried for 21 days, layers a light fermented wine aroma with florals, citrus and mango over honey sweetness and a long finish. For a Sidamo natural with a more aromatic, floral bent, FrontStreet Coffee's Sidamo Natural Hamasho uses the disease-resistant 74-series variety 74158, whose small berries carry notes of perfume lemon, strawberry and star fruit with a gentle floral lift. All of them reward the slow, cold method: moderate roast, fine grind, and patience.