Iced Coffee Smackdown: Our Search for the City’s Best Cold Coffee
Te Aro, the sleek east-end coffeehouse from Pilot Coffee Roasters, is the only café in Toronto that pulls coffee from a tap. Coarse-ground beans are brewed in hot water, then chilled and stored in a nitrogen-tapped keg, which shields the coffee from flavour-decayers like light and oxygen. The result: a cold brew with the creaminess you’d expect from a Guinness. $4. 983 Queen St. E., 416-465-2006
At Rooster, the new downtown outpost of the popular Riverdale café, coffee is brewed, blanched and then chilled for 20 hours. It’s strong, but the flavours are actually quite delicate: sweet and vaguely peachy. $3.75. 343 King St. E., 416-995-1530
Ezra Braves, the owner of the Ezra’s Pound coffee shops on Dupont and Dundas West, hates when lumps of ice dilute a strong brew, so he pours shots of espresso over cubes of frozen coffee. The drink stays cold and potent from first sip to last. $4.10. 238 Dupont St., 416-929-4400
Early Bird Espresso, the new café on Queen West, has an elaborate cold-drip system imported from Japan. Icy water filters through four towering beakers, pulling a bright, citrusy concentrate from the grounds. $4. 613 Queen St. W., 647-962-4204
This list is missing Ella’s Uncle. They make an Iced Americano with coconut water. It’s amazing and delish. I suggest adding honey. Best coffee shop in town.
To make delicious coffee – it’s really about the beans. :) Any place with quality beans will always win.
The Tampered Press is missing from the list, their iced coffee is pure quality.
Agreed!
True iced or hot coffee is never diluted with anything including honey, or coconut water or whatever…..it is then NOT true coffee, but rather another conction.
The Iced Toddy at Manic is crazy and delicious
get over yourself
I can’t believe that Fika’s iced coffee with cardamom and mint isn’t on here!
Little Nickys has the best iced coffee! Queen and Peter
agree 100%
green beans in season, roasted to a desired level, kept fresh and brewed within 2 weeks is key
try Hale Toronto, you’ll love it
i was excited to try it, but it had too much going on for my tastebuds. I think cardamon alone would be tasty.
Cold brew beats iced coffee every time.
How could we forget, DarkHorse ColdBrew!
you get over yourself. Jane’s right. it isint a real coffee if there is other stuff in it. really we should all be drinking espressos. using good beans means nothing else is necessary. the other conctions offered are american trash anyway- carmel whatever macchiato? barf. and next time you want to comment on something perhaps you should think of something interesting to say inaddition to your rude useless remark. you probably drink lattes in the late afternoon anyway. when really. its strictly a morning beverage. learn the rules bi-atch