Nitro cold-brew coffee, topped with cream, at Walla Walla Roastery. Yum!

I’ve never been a fan of iced coffee. It’s usually an over-priced, watered-down concoction of espresso/brewed coffee, milk and ice. No thanks.

But when a group of students ahead of me, at Walla Walla Roastery, all order nitro cold brews, I’m intrigued. The barista explains that here it’s a three-day-plus process of cold brewing and filtering the coffee, which is then infused with nitrogen (removing impurities), poured from a beer-style tap and topped with a shot of cream.

It’s a sweltering afternoon, so why not go for it, I figure? I fork over $3.50, not bad for that much labour and a wine-sized goblet. But let’s not get carried away; hold the ice and vanilla syrup.

I head out to a shaded table on the lawn and slowly sip this nectar while watching the world go by. It’s bloody delicious: smooth, creamy, yet still packing a caffeinated punch. Think I could get used to this.

Walla Walla Roastery is where I had my baptismal nitro cold-brew coffee. It’s a lovely, verdant spot to while away an hour

Walla Walla Roastery
290 A Street (out by the airport), Walla Walla, Washington
Weekdays 7:30 am-5 pm, 9 am-4 pm Saturday. Closed Sunday
509-526-3211

Homemade Cold-Brew Coffee
It lacks the frothy texture of nitrogen infusion, but delicious cold-brew coffee is easy to make at home. It’s smoother and less acidic than regular coffee and is a lovely summer drink.

Combine 1 cup quality, ground coffee with 4 cups water in a large bowl or, ideally, a French-press pot. Stir and leave in fridge overnight. Strain the liquid from the grounds with the French-press plunger or through a drip filter. Pour the concentrate into glass goblets (diluted if you don’t want it too strong) and add a dollop of cream if you like. Cover and refrigerate the leftover concentrate, which should keep for at least a few days.