How To Brew Iced Coffee In A Mason Jar, Just Like A Hipster

What can't you do with a mason jar?

Now that we're weeks into serious warm weather season, there's been a fair amount of iced coffee talk. This is a good kind of talk -- because anything involving iced coffee is lovely. There've been instructions on how to make it like your favorite coffee shops do, professionally. There's been the release of an iced coffee keg (!!!). And now, we're bringing you a video on how to make iced coffee the hipster way: in a mason jar.

Everyone knows how to drink an iced coffee out of a mason jar -- a walk through the streets of Brooklyn is testament to that -- but did you know you could also use that same mason jar to make the best cold brew coffee you've ever had? Because you can. One mason jar, so many uses. The video above will show you how to turn your trusty jar into an all purpose, coffee-making-and-drinking machine. But, before you watch it there are a couple of things you need to know.

First, proportions. To brew a really strong cup of iced coffee, you need about a 1:4 ratio of coffee to water. Regular hot coffee calls for a 1:16 ratio, but iced coffee is stronger -- because it's better. You can make as big or small of a batch as you want, but we went with 36 ounces of water (to 8 ounces of coffee) thanks to the great guidance from the fine folks at Serious Eats.

Second, you should know that cold brewing is pretty simple. Just add the cold water to the mason jar, top with the ground coffee, stir it all together, and let it sit at room temperature for 12 hours. Yes, 12 hours. We know that's a long time to wait for a cup of coffee, but it is worth every minute. Just make it the night before and it will be waiting for you in the morning. Once all those hours have passed, strain the coffee through a fine mesh strainer and/or cheesecloth, and ta-da, you have your cold brew coffee concentrate. This stuff is strong (because it's brewed at quadruple the strength of hot coffee, to account for the melting ice) so, you know it's going to do just the trick in the morning.

To serve, pour yourself a glass into a mason jar loaded with ice. Dilute with water or milk to taste. And enjoy. Watch the video above to see how it's done.

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