Espresso is the iconic coffee for cocktails (Espresso Martini owns the conversation), but cold brew quietly does more work behind the bar. It carries the coffee character without the acidity, it holds in the fridge for two weeks, and it does not need a working espresso machine at 23:00. Here is the working method we use at both outlets.
Why cold brew over espresso for most cocktails
Three reasons:
1. Acidity. Hot extraction pulls out more chlorogenic acids; cold extraction does not. The result is a coffee that reads as smoother, lower-bite, more cocktail-friendly. Espresso brings energy; cold brew brings body.
2. Body. Cold brew is naturally fuller-bodied than drip coffee or pour-over because the long extraction picks up more soluble solids. It mixes into a cocktail without disappearing.
3. Logistics. Cold brew is shelf-stable in the fridge for 10-14 days. You make a batch, you pour from it. No grinding, no pulling, no machine maintenance at the back of a busy bar.
Beans
Use medium-dark to dark roast for cocktails. Light roast cold brews are interesting on their own but get lost behind the spirit in most cocktails.
Robusta blends work especially well for coffee cocktails because the natural bitterness and crema balance the sweetness of liqueurs. See our deeper piece: robusta for coffee cocktails.
Local picks: any of the better Malaysian roasters (Common Man, Feeka, VCR have all made decent cold-brew-friendly beans). Avoid supermarket pre-ground; freshness matters more here than in espresso.
The base method
- Coarse-grind 100g of beans (coarser than for drip; about sea-salt granular).
- Combine with 1 litre of filtered water in a large jar.
- Stir to wet the grounds. Seal.
- Steep 16 to 18 hours at room temperature (~25-27°C in Malaysia). Longer is fine; the curve flattens after 18 hours.
- Strain through a fine mesh, then through a coffee filter or muslin cloth.
- Bottle and refrigerate.
The result is a concentrate. For drinking on its own, dilute 1:1 with water or milk. For cocktails, use straight.
Storage
Sealed in the fridge: 10-14 days. After day 14 it dulls but is still safe; we usually rotate batches every 7-10 days.
If you batch more than you need: freeze portions in ice-cube trays. Frozen cold-brew cubes work great in drinks where you do not want extra water (e.g. spirit-forward coffee cocktails over ice).
Three drinks built on cold brew
1. Cold Brew Old Fashioned. Bourbon (45ml), cold brew (15ml), demerara syrup (10ml), chocolate bitters (2 dashes). Stir over a large ice cube. Garnish: expressed orange peel and three coffee beans.
2. Espresso-Martini variant with cold brew. Vodka (30ml), coffee liqueur (30ml), cold brew (30ml, replaces espresso), simple syrup (10ml). Shake very hard. Double-strain. Garnish: three coffee beans. Less acidic than the original, more silky.
3. Cold Brew Sour. Bourbon (45ml), cold brew (15ml), fresh lemon juice (20ml), gula melaka syrup (15ml), egg white (15ml). Dry shake then shake hard. Double-strain. The bittersweet sour that wakes you up and calms you down. Closely related to our Kopi Sour.
What does not work
Hot drip coffee. Too acidic for most cocktail builds. Use cold brew or properly-pulled espresso.
Instant coffee. The flavour is too one-dimensional and the texture is wrong.
Cold brew with light-roast beans. Disappears in the cocktail. Use medium-dark or dark.
Cold brew sitting longer than 14 days. Goes flat. Make smaller batches more often rather than one big batch monthly.
Local note
Malaysian kopi-O (the local black coffee, traditionally sock-brewed) can substitute for cold brew in any cocktail that calls for cold brew. The flavour is slightly more roasted and slightly more bitter. We use cold-brewed kopi-O for our Malaysian-leaning coffee cocktails (Kopi Sour, Teh Tarik Old Fashioned variants) and conventional cold brew for the Western classics. Both work.
If you want to taste a cold-brew cocktail at the bar
Both outlets pour coffee cocktails most nights. Ask the bartender what they have on cold brew currently, we rotate the bean roughly monthly.
Frequently asked questions
What is cold brew and why does it work in cocktails?
Cold brew is coffee steeped in cold water for 16 to 18 hours, then filtered. The long, low-temperature extraction picks up more soluble solids and far less chlorogenic acid than hot brewing, so the result is fuller in body and lower in bite. That smoother profile sits well next to spirits, liqueurs, and citrus without the sharp acidity that hot drip coffee brings to a glass.
How do I make cold brew for cocktails at home?
Coarse-grind 100g of medium-dark roast beans (about sea-salt size). Combine with one litre of filtered water in a sealed jar, stir to wet the grounds, steep 16 to 18 hours at room temperature, then strain through fine mesh and a coffee filter. Bottle and refrigerate. The result is a concentrate: dilute 1:1 for drinking, use straight for cocktails.
How long does cold brew keep in the fridge?
Sealed in the fridge, cold brew holds for 10 to 14 days. After day 14 the flavour dulls but it remains safe to drink. We rotate batches every 7 to 10 days at the bar. If you have made too much, freeze portions in ice-cube trays; the cubes work in spirit-forward coffee cocktails where you do not want extra dilution from regular ice.
Can I substitute cold brew for espresso in an Espresso Martini?
Yes, and many bartenders prefer it. Use 30ml of cold brew concentrate where the original recipe calls for a fresh espresso. The result is silkier and less acidic, but it loses the foamy crema from hot extraction, so shake harder and longer to build a good head. Reduce coffee liqueur slightly if your cold brew leans particularly dark or sweet.
Where can I try a cold brew cocktail in PJ?
Both Dissolved Solids (43-1 Jalan SS20/11 Damansara Kim) and Soluble Solids (50-1 Jalan SS2/24) pour coffee cocktails most nights. Tell the bartender you want a coffee drink built on the current cold brew rather than espresso. The bean rotates roughly monthly. Message Dissolved Solids on WhatsApp +60 11-4008 7607 or Soluble Solids on +60 11-1682 8651 to reserve.