Starbucks Cold Brew

Starbucks describes its Cold Brew as slowly brewed for 20 hours. The long steeping period produces a smoother, less acidic profile than conventional iced coffee.

No. Cold Brew is brewed slowly with cold water, while iced coffee is brewed hot and then chilled or poured over ice.

It is typically served over ice and can be combined with milk, cream, or flavored additions. The base drink remains a cold-steeped coffee rather than a hot coffee that was simply cooled.

The 20-hour cold-steeping process extracts coffee compounds differently from hot brewing. That usually gives the drink a smoother flavor profile, although the perceived acidity still varies with the beans and serving additions.