When it comes to iced coffee, London-founded global specialty coffee brand WatchHouse believes that it’s time we level up. Despite the ever-increasing popularity of iced coffee (it now accounts for nearly half of WatchHouse’s in-house orders), it’s often still treated as an afterthought. Most cafes treat it as a cooled-down version of a hot coffee, preparing using hot espresso, which is then cooled down by ice. But, as the ice melts, the drink becomes diluted, and it can taste duller or more acidic than its hot counterpart. WatchHouse’s answer? Cold shots.
The process of inventing Cold shots began, explains Sam Harlow, head of coffee at WatchHouse, by asking a simple question: “What would happen if we sourced, roasted and brewed for the iced format?” Could we make a higher quality iced coffee that showed more of the coffee’s unique character?”.
And so began a year and a half of rigorous research. The aim was to create espresso-strength coffee developed specifically for cold serves, extracted cold so that the coffee wouldn’t be diluted by ice (generally, even cold brew concentrates involve boiling off, which can damage the coffee’s flavour).
But extraction technique wasn’t the only consideration. The expert baristas from WatchHouse also wanted to see whether certain varieties of coffee bean were better suited to the iced format. “We tasted lots of coffees, understanding what characteristics created high-quality coffees, and kept trying to source coffees that showcased said characteristics,” Harlow tells Broadsheet.
Finally, the team felt confident that they’d nailed the brief. Cold shots result in iced drinks that are sweeter, smoother and more balanced in taste. Plus, the body and profile of the coffee beans come through more strongly.
WatchHouse was founded in London in 2014, so it’s fitting that Cold shots will be integrated into all iced espresso orders in 10 London locations first, before rolling out globally. There’ll also be Cold shot soda – a specially developed coffee with blood orange soda – available to order in all UK WatchHouse locations. “For our Cold shot soda, we’re using a naturally processed coffee from Adara Keramo Station in Ethiopia,” Harlow says. “Its sweetness and fruit notes pair perfectly with the soda’s bitterness, creating a bittersweet, aperitif-like drink.”
Want to elevate your at-home iced coffees, too? WatchHouse has also launched three bottled serves: black, white and decaf. They’re designed to be poured over ice and finished with water, milk or any other chosen mixer (“we recommend a 40g Cold shot with 150g of milk or water,”) Harlow says. Each has a unique flavour profile: there’s Zarza, with notes of earl grey, honey and orange; Keramo, with pear, strawberry and dark chocolate notes; or Dulces Suenos Decaf, a sweeter variety with accents of cherry, pear or cacao.
“Iced coffees have been popular for a while, but being able to serve coffees designed for that serve is only going to increase their popularity,” Harlow says. “Now they’re no longer an afterthought, it’s exciting to see the direction they will go in.”
Cold Shots in espresso drinks are available to order in 10 WatchHouse locations in London (Borough, Hanover, Canary Wharf, Marble Arch, Fitzrovia, Battersea, Millennium Bridge, Northcote, St John’s Wood and Hampstead). The bottles and Cold shot soda are available online and in all WatchHouse locations across the UK.
Created in partnership with WatchHouse.