Dining Out 1 minute 16 November 2017

Ground Up: 5 Coffee Joints for Smooth Cold Brews

Where we're going for a dreamy cold cuppa.

Not to be confused with nitro cold brew, which is cold-brew coffee infused with nitrogen gas, cold-brew is a smoother, sweeter, and less acidic counterpart to our beloved hot cuppa.

Cold brew coffee is essentially made by brewing coffee beans in cold water for a lengthy period. The duration can range anywhere between six hours to two days; the longer the brew, the more intense the flavours.

Here are five coffee joints we frequent for a glass of silky-smooth caffeine fix.

7Kickstart Coffee
Singapore Arts Museum, 71 Bras Basah Road
Opening hours: 9am to 5pm, Mon to Fri. Closed on Sat & Sun.

They've got six varieties of cold brews and a weekly special. The folks behind 7Kickstart Coffee are serious about their coffees. Their caffeine potions are ice-dripped and shocked instead of using room temperature or cold water - a technique they've found to best extract the nutty, toffee flavours of the coffee beans. Not sure which of the seven brews to get? Have a quick chat with one of their staff to find out which flavour profile will best suit your tastes.
Industrial-chic interior of Oriole Coffee + Bar located next to 313@Somerset
Industrial-chic interior of Oriole Coffee + Bar located next to 313@Somerset
Oriole Coffee + Bar
Pan Pacific Serviced Suites Orchard, 96 Somerset Road #01-01
Opening hours: 8am to 11pm, Sun to Thurs. 8am to midnight, Fri & Sat.

The cold brew menu at Oriole is a tad more streamlined, with the spotlight on a trinity of brews: the Taisho black ($6), Taisho white ($7), and the Taisho M.A.D milk ($8), which is the Taisho black paired with Oriole's delicious non-daily milk made with cold-pressed macadamias, almonds and dates. And if you're new to Oriole, opt for the tasting flight for a taste of all three cold brews ($10).

Compound Coffee
Techlink, 31 Kaki Bukit Road 3, #01-02C
Opening hours: 8am to 5pm, Mon to Fri. 11am to 6pm, Sat. Closed on Sun.

They're pretty geeky about their coffee, with their blog diving into research on palette training, the breakdown of acidity in coffees and experiments done to address if coffee tastes better brewed hot or cold. But if you find yourself too busy to make a trip down to Kaki Bukit for their signature cold brews, which customers have griped about selling out too fast, you may opt to get them delivered. It saves you time and ensures that you'll get a bottle set aside for you.
At Old Hen Coffee Bar, their Valrhora chocolate-infused isn't caffeinated, which makes it the perfect drink to enjoy in the evening.
At Old Hen Coffee Bar, their Valrhora chocolate-infused isn't caffeinated, which makes it the perfect drink to enjoy in the evening.
Old Hen Coffee Bar
88 Rangoon Road, #01-03
Opening hours: Noon to 10pm, Mon, Wed, Thurs & Fri. 10am to 6.30pm, Sat. 10am to 10pm, Sun. Closed on Tuesdays.

Keep your eyes peeled for the unassuming industrial-chic coffee shop on Rangoon Road. And much like their minimalist interior, Old Hen Coffee Bar's menu is pared down and concise. Their bestsellers are their cold brews, which offers some respite from Singapore's heat. Just head over to the chiller and grab your flavour of choice: mocha, creamy white or smooth black.

Stamping Ground
87 Upper East Coast Rd
Opening hours: 8am to 6pm, daily. Closed on Mondays.

They call it a Knockout Concentrate for good reason. Stamping Ground's cold brew packs a caffeine punch. Customers can choose to pair the robust cold brew with a choice of milk ($6), soy milk ($6.50), fresh coconut water ($7) or almond milk ($8) or take it as is over cubes of ice.

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