The key to making it is to make it very strong. Personally, I think there is nothing worse, than receiving an iced coffee that is simply hot coffee poured over ice. This is never pleasing because the temperature is typically lukewarm as well as the ice melts. In this case, I would actually prefer to drink hot coffee than a luke warm coffee drink.
There are two methods to making great iced coffee. The first is to simply brew a pot of strong coffee and let it chill in the fridge over night. This is an easy thing to do, but you have to make sure you make the coffee strong enough, typically an espresso roast or very dark roast, and let it cool completely before serving. I have tried this method a few times, but find the following method to be even better than this one.
The second method to making a perfect iced coffee is to brew it the old-fashioned way. In this method you actually add the ground coffee to water and let it steep all night long. You take a large pitcher, add a good amount of coffee grounds, stir in water and let it hang out all night on the counter. Once you have let it steep all night long, you simply want to strain the coffee mixture into a new pitcher the next day with the use of cheesecloth and a strainer. What you have is very dark, rich coffee that is perfect for this summer drink!
After you have made the coffee base in your preferred method, comes the fun part! Making the drink just how you like it. Personally, I love an iced coffee that is made the Thai or Vietnamese way, which is adding a bit of sweetened condensed milk to the drink. This is a great pick me up and sweet treat for a hot summer day. It is also lovely on its own or with a bit of milk and simple syrup!
