Best U.S. Cities for Cold Brew Coffee—Or Make it at Home!

This cool take on the nation’s favorite pick-me-up beverage is having a moment—but did you know the top spots in the U.S. or better yet, how to make it cold brew coffee at home?

Several US cities stand out for their robust coffee culture and innovative cold brew offerings. Food & Wine ranks Los Angeles as a leader, showcasing a creative and diverse café scene. Portland and San Francisco have long led new wave coffee culture in the U.S. But Chicago and Milwaukee are also recognized for their champion roasters and unique nitro cold brew creations. Chicago is home to Hellion Cold Brew, a winner in the Still category, and Metric Coffee, known for its high-quality cold brew. Colectivo Coffee, based in Milwaukee, is known for its nitro cold brew, developed in partnership with 3 Sheeps Brewing. 

Of course, Seattle, known as a world center for coffee roasting, think Starbucks, Seattle’s Best Coffee, and Tully’s Coffee. The city also boasts a strong coffee culture with many cold-brew-focused coffeehouses. There are too many cold brew champs to even number, but we found this link to Seattle’s top 10.

Los Angeles is known for its diverse and creative café scene, with many establishments offering unique and creative cold brew options. Warmer weather and a fascination for the hip provenance of all things has made this an obvious trend.

And not to be outdone, the city that never sleeps has of course mastered the cold brew. Brooklyn is the epicenter and offers many options for delicious cold brew coffee. Several roasters and cafes are known for their cold brew, including Brooklyn Lab Coffee, Brooklyn Roasting Company, and Stumptown Coffee. The Brooklyn Roasting Company also offers a cold brew blend with a distinctive melted-chocolate-berry character. 

The best cold brew city in the U.S., however, might depend on individual preferences for nitro cold brew or a specific bean origin or fair trade practice, certain proprietary knowledge, equipment, and trained staff. Plus, you might just dig their vibe! But, with the average cost of a cold brew coffee typically falling around $5.40, it might be time you learned how to make it at home. Here’s how we did it:

Choose a bean with meaning

Using high-quality beans will generally lead to a better-tasting cold brew, and a more nuanced, smoother flavor.

GoodSAM‘s Everyday Organic Coffee Beans are sourced from the indigenous tribes in Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia. The coffee is grown on sacred ground at an altitude of 4,340 feet and this alone brings an elevated quality to the coffee. With tasting notes of caramel, milk chocolate, and a surprising note of apple, this is a very mellow fellow and a good choice for cold brew.

For a feminist take, GoodSAM’s Brave day Organic Coffee Beans are sourced from women of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia who have survived the terrors of armed conflict in their country. With some gravitas, aromas of dark chocolate, walnut, and baking spices emanate from these beans. Female founder Heather Terry has made something special here with this coffee and, indeed, with a whole range of coffees and snacks such as chocolate, nuts, and fruit chips that are all globally-inspired, ethically sourced and mindfully produced in partnership with local farmers. You can absolutely taste the difference (because of the certified organic, non-GMO, regeneratively grown ingredients); and you can feel good about these beans, which have been directly traded with smallholder farmers. These are delicate, complex coffees—and we take ours with coconut milk for a vegan and metabolism-boosting change.

Subscribe to a worthy coffeemaker

Sightglass coffee releases you from the whims of commercial supermarket coffee and introduces you to an elevated commitment to caffeine. This San Francisco-based coffee lifestyle company approaches the product through a locavore, seasonal lens—as you might expect from the City by the Bay. After all, coffee is a seasonal fruit, which might explain why some coffee you pluck from the shelf has about as much oil or aroma as sawdust. No, with Sightglass—especially if you cold brew it—every mouthful is bursting with tongue-tingling flavor. This is because they source beans directly from origin at harvest time in small lots, and carefully roast the beans with an attention to detail more common in small batch wine production, resulting in complexity and lightness of flavor. We are currently loving Summer Solstice, a limited edition medium roast blend. Its tasting notes of guava, blackberry, honeysuckle lends itself particularly well to cold brew on a warm morning. With a splash of cashew milk, this is the sunrise in a cup! On cooler days when we might fire up our espresso machine, we will try Owl’s Howl, with tasting notes of cacao nib, stone fruit and candied orange. For the French press we are keeping Toketee on hand, and look forward to flavors of apricot, cacao nib and caramel—a match for our Sunday morning croissant.

In case you were wondering, the name of the company is taken from the viewing window on their vintage coffee roaster that reveals the roasting process. As a metaphor, it speaks to the detail and mindfulness of the brand, beginning with sourcing the green bean and ending with the naming and packaging, right down to the idea of a subscription, which makes sense. never run out, and never be left with a pack of coffee that you have no idea where it came from or how old it is. To shop bundles and subscriptions and save 15% go here.

Find the right vessel

Lardera’s cold brew pitcher is all you need to get started. A stunning borosilicate glass carafe with high-precision stainless steel infuser, this looks lovely on your kitchen countertop and takes up no space at all, there or in your fridge. Our hack is to coarse grind some of our favorite beans and place them in the pitcher overnight with some filtered water, and wake up to a perfect cold brew.

But you can also follow the step-by-step cold brew method here. Need iced coffee quicker? Brew with hot water and add ice. The heat resistant glass body can go from boiling to freezing in minutes. All items are dishwasher safe and very easy to clean. Lardera makes other coffee accessories, too, so visit the store here.

Consider a coffee condiment upgrade

We don’t think creatively enough about our sweeteners. Agave syrup yeah, yeah whatever. Have you tried Storied Goods‘ Cinnamon-Vanilla Sugar Cubes? This is next level! These little tins of 10 Sugar Cubes are not your standard sugar cubes! These are dense and delicious, artisan made with pure cane sugar, and a perfect, dusty blend of cinnamon, vanilla, and clove.

This is your newest luxe addition to coffee that will have you saying, What Starbucks? What syrups? Packaged in artfully-designed, sustainable tins, Storied Goods gourmet Sugar Cubes are a charming way to customize your coffee and offer to guests. They make the perfect addition to your at-home barista setup, coffee-based cocktail, or as a sweet gift for the gourmand in your life. This is a woman-owned company dedicated to honoring the smallest, sweetest moments in life. You deserve this! Get 10% off your first order here.

Convenience in a can

And if you’re too lazy or busy to make a cold brew yourself? Check out RISE Brewing Co.’s Nitro Cold Brew Variety Pack ($39.99 per 7 oz. 12 pack). It’s is a handy and worthy addition to your picnic basket or backpack this Summer. RISE Brewing Co. infuses organic, naturally sweet cold brew coffee with nitrogen to create a cascade with a frothy head and a refreshingly smooth taste that sets it apart from all the other sugar-filled, high calorie alternatives on the market. Paired with dairy free milk and complementary flavors, this is a good place to start for your cold brew iced coffee experience to go.