Unless you’ve failed to set foot inside a café over the past year, chances are you’ve spotted an intricate-looking contraption known as a cold press. Balloons of glass sit on top of one another – the top one, filled with water, slowly drips onto the middle one, containing coffee, until finally they meet at the bottom and make the beautiful caffeinated baby that is cold drip espresso.

Often likened to a coffee liqueur because of its smooth flavour and lack of bitterness, cold drip is perfect for summer mornings when the idea of imbibing a flat white makes you want to run the opposite direction in 30 degree heat. But cold drip isn’t just for hot weather – it’s a great after-dinner drink, too.

How is it made?
Basically, cold, filtered water is dripped through ground coffee for a long period of time – at least seven hours, and up to twelve. The temperature helps keep acid levels low – coffee brewed with heat will usually retain some acidic oils. But cold drip espresso has a smoother, less bitter profile – and that’s why it won’t be served with milk, sugar or cream. You simply don’t need it.

Where can I find it?
Um, literally everywhere. Any café worth its grounds serves a variety of cold drip these days – or you can buy your own cold drip machine to make at home. Darlo Coffee Co. offers cold drip in a cask, and delivers nationwide.