Using your local coffee beans to make the perfect iced coffee!

It's summer. It's boiling. We live in the UK. We're not used to this. If you're anything like us, the idea of slurping on a hot drink isn't as attractive as usual at the moment. You need an alternative - a different way of getting your daily coffee fix - so why not put your local coffee beans to good use and treat yourself to an iced coffee?

The main ingredients for an iced coffee are usually the same: good quality coffee, ice and milk! However, you can spice things up a bit by adding syrups (thankfully, or this would be a pretty short blog post!), so this is where we'll begin. Don't be alarmed by the amount of sugar we're using here - we're going to be making enough syrup for a few iced coffees.

Vanilla syrup

1. Mix 225g of granulated sugar with 250ml of water and add to a pan

2. Slice a vanilla bean pod in half (lengthways), scrape the seeds into the mixture and stir

3. Bring to the boil and stir for a couple of minutes until the sugar has dissolved

4. Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool completely before pouring into a bottle and sealing

5. Leave it in the fridge before using (ideally for a few days)

Cinnamon syrup

1. Add 175ml of water, 150g of brown sugar and three cinnamon sticks to a pan (you can also use cinnamon powder but the sticks infuse better)

2. Let the mixture simmer and stir until the sugar has dissolved

3. Repeat steps 4 and 5 above!

Chocolate syrup

1. Mix 225g of cocoa powder with 225g of granulated sugar in a pan

2. Add half a teaspoon of salt and 250ml of water and bring to the boil, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens slightly (after ~2-3 mins)

3. Remove from the heat and stir in a tablespoon of vanilla extract for taste

4. Repeat steps 4 and 5 above!

Now for the iced coffee: grind your local coffee beans and make a strong coffee (e.g. a double espresso). Let the coffee cool (or don't) and pour it over several large ice cubes. Add milk, 1-2 tablespoons of syrup, mix together and enjoy!

Think this sounds nice but don't fancy making your own syrup? No problem! You can buy syrups locally and they're also available from several of the larger local coffee roasters that we work with :D

So there you have it: how to freshen up your routine and make the most of your local coffee beans when the sun comes out!