Here are the places in Singapore to find the best cold brew coffees – a more refreshing quencher than your usual java
Cold brew coffee is the go-to beverage of the trend-chasing millennial set. The extraction process, which is simple but protracted, involves either fully immersing the coffee beans in cold water or steadily dripping water through the beans. A much longer brew time – compared to normal coffee – of two to 24 hours, and the specific use of cold filtered water to a larger ratio of grounds result in syrupy, richer concoctions and more nuanced flavours, with none of the bitter oils and sharp fatty acids you get from brewing with hot water. One of the best ways to judge whether a cold brew is made well is a smooth, pleasant aftertaste. These are the places that passed the test.
Bootstrap Beverages
Specialty cold brew coffee producer Bootstrap Beverages uses 100 percent arabica beans sourced directly from family-run farms in Kintamani, Bali. Expect to taste the richest, most flavourful brews, keeping it simple with its all-natural notes of creamy dark chocolate malt, with no added sugar or milk, and a minimal hint of bitterness. #10-06 Mandai Foodlink, 5 Mandai Link. Tel: 8356 4285
Common Man Coffee Roasters
Artfully presented like a whisky and topped with a sliver of lemon, their cold brew, which uses beans from the Acacia Hills Estate in Tanzania, kicks in sharply. It then slowly mellows out to a delicate balanced body and smooth aftertaste. The lemon accentuates the moderately acidic brew while providing a refreshing citrus scent. #01-00, 22 Martin Road. Tel: 6836 4695
Chye Seng Huat Hardware (CCSH)
Made using 100 percent specialty-grade single origin beans, their black cup of joe is brewed from PPP Coffee’s Ethiopia Suke Quto that packs a strong floral scent with its unique peach, earl grey tea and citrus notes. The blend is relatively light on the palate, providing a full-bodied yet tea-like flavour that leaves a bright aftertaste — perfect as a refreshing quencher for a hot, sunny day. 150 Tyrwhitt Road. Tel: 6396 0609
Grain Traders
With its addictive nutty nuances, Grain Traders’ white cold brew might be an even bigger lure than their hearty bowls. The dense and unctuously creamy java – a blend of beans from the Thippanahalli Estate in India and the Brazilian Ponto Alegre region, hot-air roasted by Papa Palheta – boasts the stronger body typical of South American beans. It’s balanced out with milk, cream and just a hint of sugar so that it goes down smoothly. #01-01/02/03 CapitaGreen, 138 Market Street. Tel: 9054 6105
Jimmy Monkey Café & Bar
Opened by Melbourne native Michael Ryan, this industrial-style space tucked in the leafy One North business park takes its beans from independent and Rainforest Alliance farms all over the world. Although it’s more well-known for espressos, the cafe’s cold brew is also worth the trip – it has mellow and elegant chocolatey flavours, and is served with ice to coax out its subtle acidity. #01-51 One-North Residences, 9 One-North Gateway. Tel: 6777 8470
Kafve
Get your caffeine fix with Kafve’s pure, unadulterated cold brew. Well-balanced with a creamy mouthfeel, this cold brew features a decadent blend of Brazil Cerrado and India Monsoon Malabar that makes for a deliciously flavourful caramel note. Kafve extracts the nutty and toffee nuances from the beans by brewing and steeping the grinds in cold water for 10 to 12 hours, giving the cup a thick, malty body with barely a hint of bitterness. Tel: 8779 8380
Old Hen Coffee Bar
Old Hen’s cold brew is made using the Four Chairs blend from Nylon Coffee roasters,
which comprises beans from El Salvador and Nicaragua. Expect a soft, gentle mouthfeel with hints of dark cherries, dried fruits and hazelnuts that slides down smoothly. 88 Rangoon Road. Tel: 6341 5458
Oriole Coffee + Bar
Oriole serves up a dairy-free white cold brew in the form of its Taisho M.A.D. Milk. Pressed in-house from blended macadamias, almonds and dates, the rich concoction is double sieved before it is combined with the establishment’s signature cold brew. It is said that iced coffee was introduced in Japan during the Taisho era, when proprietors invented original items to stay competitive – an apt moniker, as Oriole is touted as the first cafe in Singapore to successfully incorporate nut milk coffee. #01-01 Pan Pacific Serviced Suites, 96 Somerset Road. Tel: 6238 8348
Tiong Hoe Specialty Coffee
What started as a family-run commercial coffee roasting business, before expanding into a full-fledged cafe with six outlets across Singapore, Tiong Hoe Specialty Coffee was set up in 2014 as another way to introduce good quality coffee into the neighbourhood. Roasted, grounded and brewed in-house, their brews are served from a rotational range of single-origin coffee beans. Their Pollen White Cold Brew Coffee features a sweet, floral flavour and a creamy body sweetened by raw honey. #01-1133, 170 Stirling Road. Tel: 6474 5442
Wake The Crew
Turn to Wake The Crew’s freshly bottled cold brews for a quick morning pick-me-up delivered straight to your doorstep. Their black Cold Brew comes in two varieties – single origin Brazil Santos beans or Ethiopia Sidamo beans. While the Brazil Santos beans highlight a lingering bittersweet aftertaste of nutty, chocolatey notes, the Ethiopia Sidamo beans boast fragrant floral, berry and citrus notes. Enjoy it straight from the bottle or pour over ice. Tel: 9123 3226
