Thirsty Thursday at Felony Bar

My latest obsession is iced coffee. Next to Mountain Dew (which I have given up), this has to be the nectar of the gods. I have been experimenting with coffee concentrate and have come up with the perfect concoction for my taste buds. Now that I make my own, I no longer have to hit the drive-thru on the way to work. Here’s how I make it. You will need to experiment with ratios of water to coffee to get your perfect brew.

2 cups of coarse ground coffee (I like it strong but you can use decaf as well)

8 cups water

Place the coffee in a pitcher and pour the water over the top. Stir, cover and let it sit at room temperature for 24-48 hours, stirring occasionally. (Tip – don’t stir it before you strain it or it will become cloudy.)

To strain, use cheesecloth or papertowels in a large strainer over a second bowl or pitcher. Pour the coffee into the strainer. It might take a while to drain through. I usually pour it in and go watch a movie or do some work then come back to check on it.

Throw out the dregs and strain again into your serving pitcher. Refrigerate.

Pour any leftover coffee into an ice cube tray and freeze. You can use these later in your iced coffee to prevent dilution.

When you’re ready to serve, put the ice cubes in a glass and fill it 2/3 full with coffee concentrate then add milk, cream, half and half, sweetened condensed milk. For me, the perfect mix is a combination of milk and sweetened condensed milk, but if I’m watching calories I use skim milk and skip the heavier stuff. If you like it sweet, you can add sugar or sugar substitute. Then stir. Yumm!

Now comes the fun part. To kick things up a notch for an after dinner drink, you can add kahlua, vodka, or Bailey’s Irish Creme. It’s an out of sight drink to serve your guests. If you really want to go crazy, add whipped cream and some chocolate shavings on top. They will be impressed with your skills.

For breakfast, I like to add vanilla, maple flavoring, hazelnut, peppermint, chocolate syrup, or caramel. The sky is the limit!

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Thanks for stopping by! See you next week.