10Best: Iced coffee drinks for an afternoon pick-up
Hot coffee may be the traditional morning beverage, but coffee shops are luring in customers later in the day with new chilled drinks, says David Smith, founder of Austin-based High Brew Coffee, a canned cold-brewed coffee that's available at grocery stores around the country. "The trend is strong. There's a new afternoon usage of coffee that didn't used to exist." Bold baristas are combining surprising flavors and ingredients for tasty iced drinks that are particularly welcome on a hot summer day. He shares some favorites with Larry Bleiberg for USA TODAY.
Iced Almond Macadamia Latte
Go Get Em Tiger, Los Angeles
This drink's key ingredient, almond-macadamia nut milk, is made in-house. Then it's mixed with a shot of espresso, shaken over ice and served in a Mason jar. "It's a frothy, refreshing latte," Smith says. "Anytime you make fresh milk, it's going to be delicious. It's kind of like homemade ice cream. It's always a little better than what's in a package." 323-380-5359; ggetla.com
Gin Basil Smash
Five Watt Coffee, Minneapolis
Baristas start with cold-brewed coffee and then spice things up with juniper and basil simple syrup, grapefruit bitters and cream. "The innovative flavors create a refreshing mix of citrus-essence and sweetness," Smith says. "The results are a fanciful concoction." 612-259-7519; fivewattcoffee.com
Iced Mint Mojito
Philz Coffee, San Francisco
Mint leaves make this espresso-based drink with sweet cream a surprisingly refreshing experience, Smith says. "The combination makes it seem lighter than a strong coffee," Smith says. The drink's fans include Mark Zuckerberg, who recruited a Philz for Facebook's headquarters, and rapper Snoop Dog, who's an investor in the company. philzcoffee.com
Ameri-cola
Octane, Atlanta
Perhaps it's not a surprise that a coffee shop based in the hometown of Coke combines two of the country's favorite caffeinated beverages. The drink mixes espresso and a specialty Coca-Cola that has been sweetened with sugar cane, not corn syrup. "It's a mixture of two of America's favorite beverages," Smith says. "It's almost like having a carbonated coffee. It gives it lots of bubbles, it creates a frothy head." Also locations in Birmingham, Ala. octanecoffee.com
Curious George
One More Cup, Kansas City
A local dairy provides the chocolate and banana milk that's the key ingredient in this espresso-based drink. Because the flavor comes from milk, not syrup, the flavoring's subtle and the beverage avoids being cloying. "It has a much creamier mouth feel and it isn't nearly as sweet," Smith says. 816-994-3644; onemorecupkc.com
Angeleno
Intelligentsia, Chicago
Put on a seat belt before downing this drink, made with four shots of the coffee roaster's famed Black Cat espresso. It's then blended with milk, shaken and served over ice. "They use agave nectar to create the right amount of sweetness," Smith says. "This one stands out for its incredible smooth finish. It's going to give you a nice jolt." Additional locations in Los Angeles and New York. intelligentsiacoffee.com
Taipei Shake
Peregrine Espresso, Washington D.C.
Japanese-style cold-brewed coffee has double the strength of regular coffee and when it's combined with lychee syrup, and served with a fresh raspberry and basil, something wonderful happens, Smith says. The Asian flavoring makes the taste of this one-shot drink unique. "This one's pretty cool." 202-525-5127; peregrineespresso.com
Iced Turtle Latte
Frothy Monkey, Nashville
A shot of espresso reaches new heights with the addition of house-made chocolate, caramel, praline and local-dairy milk. "This is really my favorite one. It's pretty indulgent but it's really delicious," Smith says. "If you're a fan of chocolate and caramel, you are going to love this caffeinated dessert latte." frothymonkey.com
Shakerato
Spella Caffe, Portland, Ore.
It's the use of a martini shaker that makes this creamy, frothy iced coffee something special. Although the ingredients are simple – espresso, milk, raw sugar and ice – the drink is a standout, Smith says. "It gives a nice balance of bitter and sweet and creamy iced coffee." 503-752-0264; spellacaffe.com
Es Alpukat
Kopi Kopi, New York
It took a bold barista to consider mixing Indonesian coffee and avocado, but Smith says it was a stroke of genius. The layered drink includes vanilla simple syrup, sweetened condensed milk and chocolate. "It's unlike any coffee drink anyone's every tried. The oils of the avocado give it a pretty creamy texture." 212-777-7285; kopinyc.com