The summer coffee
In a country where summer runs from April to October, cold coffee makes a lot of sense. The Pakistani version, sold everywhere from university canteens to roadside juice shops, is thick, sweet and blended with ice cream, closer to a coffee milkshake than an iced coffee. Our classic cold coffee makes it that way. If you prefer something lighter, the iced latte and cold brew are less sweet and let the coffee taste come through.
Blended, poured or brewed cold
These drinks fall into three groups. Blended drinks (cold coffee and the frappés) are whizzed with ice until thick and frothy, and must be drunk straight away before they separate. Poured drinks (iced latte) are strong coffee poured over ice and cold milk. Cold brew is different again: coarse coffee steeped in cold water for 12 to 18 hours, which gives a smooth, low-acid concentrate that keeps in the fridge for a week.
Stopping it from going watery
Watery cold coffee is the usual disappointment, and it’s easy to prevent. Make the coffee stronger than you’d drink it hot, because ice will dilute it. Let hot coffee cool completely before it meets ice. Better still, freeze leftover coffee in an ice tray and use coffee ice cubes. And chill the glass in the freezer for ten minutes first.
Sweeteners and toppings
Sugar dissolves badly in cold drinks, so dissolve it in the hot coffee first, or use a . Caramel and chocolate sauces go in the blender, with a little more drizzled inside the glass. Whipped cream is optional, but a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top is very Pakistani.