As the temperatures climb, the appeal of a hot cup of coffee often diminishes. This is where cold brew coffee shines, offering a smoother, less acidic, and refreshingly cool caffeine fix. The ready-to-drink market is booming, providing an incredible variety of options for every palate, from pure black concentrates to creamy, nitro-infused lattes.
Navigating this landscape can be overwhelming. To simplify your search, we’ve curated a list of standout cold brew drinks available online. Whether you prefer your coffee straight, sweetened, or packed with protein, there’s a perfect bottle, can, or box waiting to become your new warm-weather staple.
Our Top Picks for Ready-to-Drink Cold Brew
- Califia Farms – Pure Black Espresso Blend Cold Brew Coffee
- La Colombe Coffee, Triple Draft Latte, 11 fl oz Cans
- High Brew Coffee, Dark Chocolate Mocha, 8 Fl Oz
- Stok Cold Brew Coffee Unsweetened Black
- Chameleon Cold-Brew Organic Black Coffee Concentrate
- Grady’s Cold Brew Cold Brew Concentrate
- RISE Brewing Co. Organic Nitro Cold Brew Coffee
- Wandering Bear Cold Brew Coffee Box Unsweetened
Califia Farms – Pure Black Espresso Blend Cold Brew Coffee
For those who appreciate a strong, unadulterated coffee experience, Califia Farms offers a Pure Black Espresso Blend. This cold brew is crafted from 100% Arabica beans, resulting in a dark and smooth profile that is both bold and deeply satisfying. It’s completely unsweetened, making it a pure and versatile base for your coffee routine.
The flavor is robust with distinct notes of berry and caramel, providing a layered and luxurious taste. As a plant-based, vegan, and gluten-free product, it fits various dietary preferences. You can enjoy it straight from the bottle for a potent kick or use it as a foundation for custom drinks by mixing it with your favorite milk or creamer.
La Colombe Coffee, Triple Draft Latte
La Colombe brings coffeehouse quality to your home or on-the-go lifestyle with its Triple Draft Latte. Packaged in convenient 11 fl oz cans, this ready-to-drink beverage is made from specialty-grade coffee beans for a consistently excellent taste. With 150 mg of natural caffeine, it provides a solid energy boost.
This latte stands out for its creamy texture and rich flavor, achieved without the need for a coffee shop visit. It is made with real vanilla extract, offering a genuine and aromatic sweetness. It’s a perfect grab-and-go option for busy mornings or an afternoon pick-me-up that doesn’t compromise on quality.
High Brew Coffee, Dark Chocolate Mocha
High Brew Coffee offers an elevated cold brew experience that combines great taste with functional benefits. Their Dark Chocolate Mocha is a ready-to-drink option that is triple filtered and slow brewed, ensuring a smooth and rich flavor without the bitterness often associated with coffee.
This product is designed for the active individual, providing twice the caffeine of a standard coffee and a substantial 12 grams of protein in every 8 fl oz serving. It’s a satisfying choice that can help power you through your day while catering to your nutritional needs.
Stok Cold Brew Coffee Unsweetened Black
Stok Cold Brew is a widely recognized name, known for its exceptionally smooth and not-too-strong profile. Their Unsweetened Black offering is a straightforward and reliable choice for cold brew purists. It’s crafted to be less acidic than hot-brewed coffee, making it gentle on the stomach.
This cold brew is perfect for those who like to control the flavor and sweetness of their drink. You can enjoy it as a crisp, black coffee or use it as a blank canvas for creating your own customized beverage with syrups, milk, or cream. Its accessibility and consistent taste make it a fridge staple.
Chameleon Cold-Brew Organic Black Coffee Concentrate
Chameleon Cold-Brew provides maximum versatility with its Organic Black Coffee Concentrate. This product is made with organic, fair-trade Arabica beans, offering a rich and smooth flavor profile. As a concentrate, it allows you to decide the strength of your coffee by adjusting the ratio of concentrate to water or milk.
A little of this concentrate goes a long way, making it an economical choice for daily drinkers. It’s an excellent base for iced coffees, and its organic certification appeals to those who prioritize naturally sourced ingredients. This is the ideal solution for preparing multiple servings of quality cold brew with minimal effort.
Grady’s Cold Brew Concentrate
Grady’s Cold Brew offers a uniquely flavored concentrate that stands out from the crowd. It’s brewed with a signature blend of coffee, chicory, and spices, giving it a distinct, New Orleans-style taste. This concentrate is designed to be diluted with your choice of milk or water.
The result is a exceptionally smooth and full-bodied coffee with notes of chocolate and a subtle spice. It’s a great option for those looking to move beyond standard black cold brew and experience a beverage with more complex, comforting flavors. Each batch produces multiple servings, perfect for sharing.
RISE Brewing Co. Organic Nitro Cold Brew Coffee
RISE Brewing Co. brings the coffee shop experience home with its Organic Nitro Cold Brew. This drink is infused with nitrogen, which creates a naturally sweet and creamy texture with a cascading effect when poured, all without any added dairy. It is also certified organic, meeting a high standard for ingredient quality.
The nitro infusion results in a velvety smooth mouthfeel and a rich, dense foam head. It’s a visually impressive and deliciously smooth coffee that feels like a treat. This is an excellent choice for those who enjoy a creamy latte but prefer to keep their drink black and unsweetened.
Wandering Bear Cold Brew Coffee Box Unsweetened
For the ultimate in convenience and strength, Wandering Bear offers its cold brew in a box. This is a straight-shooting, unsweetened black cold brew that is known for its bold flavor and high caffeine content. The box format, similar to a box of wine, makes storage and pouring simple.
This product is built for the serious coffee drinker who goes through coffee quickly and appreciates a potent, no-frills brew. It stays fresh for weeks in the fridge, ensuring you always have a reliable source of strong, smooth cold brew on hand. It’s a practical and efficient option for households or offices.
How to Choose Your 8 Cold Brew Coffee Drinks
When I look at the world of 8 cold brew coffee drinks, the first thing I consider is my own personal taste. Am I in the mood for something strong and straight, or something creamy and sweet? Cold brew itself is a fantastic base because it’s typically less acidic and smoother than iced coffee, which makes it a great partner for other flavors. The key is to match the drink to my moment.
For a pure coffee experience, I stick with a straight black cold brew or a simple iced version. This is where the quality of the beans really matters. I look for a coarse grind specifically labeled for cold brew to avoid a muddy or bitter taste. If I want a bit of dairy, a classic Cold Brew Creamsicle or a simple cream addition is my next stop. Here, the fat content in the milk or cream makes a big difference. Whole milk or a barista-style oat milk will give me a much richer, smoother result compared to skim milk.
When I am feeling more adventurous, I consider the flavored and shaken options. A Vietnamese Iced Coffee demands a specific dark roast, often a Robusta blend, and sweetened condensed milk for that authentic, thick sweetness. For a Salted Caramel Cold Brew, I check that I have a good quality caramel syrup and a pinch of flaky sea salt to balance the sweetness. The beauty of making these at home is that I control the sweetness level. I can start with less syrup and add more to my liking.
Thinking about texture is also important. A blended frozen cold brew is a completely different experience from a clear, poured drink over ice. For blended drinks, I make sure my blender is powerful enough to crush ice smoothly, and I might add a scoop of protein powder or a banana to make it more substantial. For a refreshing option, a cold brew tonic with sparkling water and a citrus twist is unbeatable on a hot day. The most important thing is to start with a cold brew concentrate I genuinely enjoy on its own. If the base is good, every drink I make from it will be too.
FAQ
What is the difference between cold brew and iced coffee?
This is a common question, and the difference is all in the process. Iced coffee is typically hot-brewed coffee that is then cooled down and poured over ice. Cold brew, on the other hand, is never heated. I steep coarsely ground coffee beans in cold water for a long time, usually 12-24 hours. This slow extraction creates a drink that is naturally sweeter, smoother, and much less acidic than iced coffee. It is a much more forgiving method and forms the base for our favorite 8 cold brew coffee drinks.
Do I need special equipment to make cold brew at home?
Not at all. While you can buy a dedicated cold brew maker, I have made plenty of great cold brew with just a large jar and a fine-mesh strainer or a cheesecloth. You simply combine coarse coffee grounds and cold water in the jar, let it sit on your counter or in your fridge, and then strain out the grounds. It is a very simple process. A dedicated maker can make the straining step cleaner and easier, but it is not a requirement to get started.
How long does homemade cold brew last?
When I make a batch of cold brew concentrate, I keep it in a sealed container in the refrigerator. It will stay fresh and tasty for about one to two weeks. Because it is a concentrate, it is quite stable. If I have already diluted it with water or milk to make a ready-to-drink beverage, I try to consume that within 2-3 days for the best flavor.
What kind of coffee roast is best for cold brew?
You can use any roast you like, but I tend to prefer medium to dark roasts for cold brew. The long steeping time really pulls out the deep, chocolatey, and nutty notes from these roasts, which I find complements the smooth nature of the cold brew. Light roasts can work too, but they might result in a brighter, more tea-like flavor. My advice is to experiment with a small batch of your favorite coffee to see how you like it.
Can I make these drinks with decaffeinated coffee?
Absolutely. The cold brew process works exactly the same way with decaffeinated beans. You will get the same smooth, low-acidity flavor without the caffeine. This is a great option if you want to enjoy one of these 8 cold brew coffee drinks later in the day without it affecting your sleep.