With the summer heat beating on our backs it's the perfect time to wake up to a minty cold brew coffee! Super simple recipe that hits your mouth ice cold and finishes off smooth and almost chocolatey. It's a completely different experience to HOT brewed coffee and I'd recommend it to anyone: coffee lover or not.

I recently went to go and experience Starbuck's cold brew coffee because I've seen it around—- NOTHING like this sort. I personally use Old City Coffee's Poor Richard Blend, which is definitely my favorite. Cold brewing brings out sweet chocolate notes that I really enjoy.

Step 1: Gather Your Ingredients

You need...

A jar or closed cup
Ground coffee
Mint (a few leaves and/or oil or extract)
Sweetener (I used regular sugar, this is optional)
Water

( There's no need for creamer since cold brew lacks in acidity and bitterness.)

Step 2: Add Coffee

Use any coffee you'd like, I added a heaping tablespoon for a Ball jar worth of water. Instant coffee will NOT work if you're looking for the special flavor of cold brew since instant is already brewed in hot water. Brewing in cool water gives coffee a new and distinct taste.

Step 3: Add Mint

At this point we add the mint, I'm using both fresh mints from my own potted plant and a single drop of peppermint oil. Don't overdo the peppermint oil! It's very strong and not good for you in large quantities or if ingested too often, I wouldn't say completely go without it, though, since mint leaves themselves contain the oil and people use it all the time.

Step 4: Add Water and Sweetener

Fill the jar up to the top with room temperature or cold water, then add sugar to taste and shake well. You could also use honey or another sweetener, but I think artificial sweetener or normal sugar will work best since they're both easier to dissolve in cold water. Honey does taste great with mint, though!