Once upon a time, my little sister worked at Starbucks. It was a magical time due to the bevvy of comped beverages tossed my way. (Thanks Katie!) But it was also around this time when I took a pretty strong liking to iced coffee. Prior to that I’d been a hot coffee or iced chai sort of gal. Fast forward to this summer, Katie off being an actress full-time and I’m craving cold brew nearly every day. And compounding this craving with Chet’s similar affinity for the sweet siren‘s nectar? Let’s just say we were getting a little too cute and comfortable with our local baristas. Curious to see if we could copycat a Grande Venti just as delicious, we did our research and brewed a batch. I think blind taste tests would prove what we have since concluded…you can make Starbucks cold brew coffee at home!!! Your pocket books will thank you. (Do people still say pocket books? IDK.) Here’s how ya do it…

First things first, I recommend getting Starbucks Kenya blend coffee as this is the closest blend to what Starbucks uses for their cold brew in-store. And by “I recommend” I mean my sister recommends…but po-tay-to, po-TAH-to ya know. If you have a grinder, give the beans a course grind. If you don’t have a grinder, get a barista to do it in the store. They’ll probably be inwardly annoyed but OUTWARDLY very cheerful. : )

Next, grab some sort of a vessel that your coffee can hang out in for 8-12 hours. We used a plastic water jug. Scoop in 1/3 Lb. of your ground coffee. You can fashion a funnel out of paper if this process seems like a disaster waiting to happen (We did!). Then pour in a 1/2 gallon of water. I would recommend using filtered. Now you just have to wait.

Not pretty but effective. Once your coffee is done hanging out you’ll have to strain out the grounds. Find something to keep the sweet nectar in–like a pitcher, drink dispenser or even a large tupperware. Set up a fine mesh strainer over top of the chosen container, line the strainer with a cheese cloth and get to pourin’.

Make sure to pour EVERYTHING out–even all the grounds. You can use a big wooden spoon to SMOOSH the dregs down into the strainer and make sure you’re getting every last bit of liquid.

Once you’ve gotten all the liquid into your container, put the top on and stow it in your fridge. Now you’re all set to pour it in your very own cup (with ice, almond milk and stevia if that’s your jam) and enjoy from the comfort of your own home or on the go!

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What have you done to save money this Summer? Have you ever tried cold brewing at home?