Nitro Cold Brew and Drinking Coffee After Drinking Alcohol

Nitro cold brew is iced coffee infused with nitrogen gas, which creates a smooth, creamy texture similar to stout beer. The base is cold brew, ice brew or iced Americano, never hot coffee. Nitrogen is pushed through the liquid using a cream whipper with a gas cartridge or a dedicated tap, producing the cascading bubbles and velvety mouthfeel drinkers notice first.

The style emerged around 2013 at Cuvée Coffee in Texas and spread quickly; Starbucks launched cold brew nitro coffee in the US market in 2016. Canned versions now make it convenient at home. Nitro cold brew is generally low in calories when unsweetened, unlike drinks people may reach for when drinking coffee after drinking alcohol the night before, which often carry added sugar.

Coffee trends never stop evolving, and in recent years a跨界 beverage has quietly gained popularity—infusing coffee with nitrogen. This practice first emerged in the American specialty coffee scene, and soon even major chain brands followed suit. How exactly is nitro coffee made? Why can it mimic the creamy mouthfeel of stout? Is it high in calories? What's the difference between it and regular cold brew? This article will provide a comprehensive interpretation of every aspect of nitro coffee, from its origins, production principles, and taste performance to calorie analysis, and recommend lazy-friendly canned options.

Humans have been drinking coffee for over a thousand years, from coffee leaves, fruit skins, and pulp to coffee beans, almost the entire coffee tree has been exploited. However, a trendy new way of drinking that has emerged in recent years was rarely explored in the past, because it counts as a significant跨界, and not many people outside the circle know about it—that is, infusing coffee with nitrogen.

In fact, the beer industry has long had many brands injecting nitrogen into their brews, especially stouts, which after nitrogen infusion have an exceptionally smooth texture with a creamy, milk-like richness.

Beer itself is a gas-rich fermented beverage, so whether it's carbon dioxide or nitrogen, consumers won't psychologically reject it. But coffee was originally unrelated to carbonated drinks, so adding nitrogen to it seems quite unconventional.

Around 2013, Cuvée Coffee in Texas, USA, reportedly began selling nitrogen-infused coffee, and it quickly became popular across the United States. As in the beer world, industry giants quickly entered the scene after seeing this trend. In 2016, Starbucks launched cold brew nitro coffee in the U.S. market, which involves injecting nitrogen into its best-selling Cold Brew Coffee. It is said that this product has become its second best-selling category.

●How to make a cup of nitro coffee?

1

First, you need a cup of iced coffee. Most baristas prefer to use cold brew or ice brew (Cold Brew), or iced Americano. In short, it cannot be hot!

2

You need nitrogen infusion equipment. The simplest tool is a cream whipper: pour the coffee liquid into the canister, attach a gas cartridge, shake well, and press the handle to complete.

Actually, when nitro coffee was invented, the original intention was to mimic the mouthfeel of stout. Given that, why not just use a beer tap?

●What does nitro coffee taste like?

Nitrogen is more stable than carbon dioxide and can form finer bubbles. After being infused into the coffee liquid, the mouthfeel is as if milk has been added, yet without any milky flavor. At the same time, it is different from carbonated drinks like cola—nitrogen bubbles dissipate more gently, and the stimulation is not obvious when drinking.

However, note that nitrogen dissipates quickly. Freshly made nitro coffee is highly appealing both visually and in taste, but after a few minutes the nitrogen begins to escape. Once the nitrogen is lost, the coffee liquid, frankly speaking, is no different from regular black coffee.

The wonderful mouthfeel of nitro coffee depends on the abundant nitrogen foam within it. Once the bubbles disappear, the taste is no longer magical. Therefore, most people who get a nitro coffee will drink it quickly in large gulps, which is good news for the shop.

If you're too lazy to make it yourself, you can also try a canned nitro coffee!

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.