Are you thinking about having a smooth, delicious, and flavorful iced coffee drink at home? Are you thinking of how you can improve your barista skills? Think no more. In this post, we'd show you how to make some popular coffee drinks at home. These drinks can be taken at any time of the day.

For a complete guide to cold brew - the ultimate iced coffee base - see: Cold Brew Coffee: Everything You Need to Know.

WHAT MAKES ICED COFFEE DRINKS SO SPECIAL?

Did you know that you can drink iced coffee at any point? Some coffee lovers say they drink it in the rain, snow, and summer. It is even one of their favorite ways to start their day. There is something so interesting and refreshing about taking a cup of sweet iced coffee. Regular coffee can get boring sometimes, so we are here to give you some recipes that can add some flavor to your coffee. Iced coffee is like a tasty dessert in a tall glass that contains coffee, ice, and syrup. You can add milk if you are up for something creamy.

WHAT KIND OF COFFEE SHOULD YOU USE FOR THIS RECIPE?

This is just like any cup of coffee. You'll be needing high-quality coffee beans. You should buy whole coffee beans and grind them on your own, using burr grinders. The coffee beans have to be freshly roasted, so you can get all the flavorful compounds from them. If you use fresh coffee beans, you can get the same taste that your favorite cafe offers.

ESPRESSO OR REGULAR COFFEE?

If you want to get a strong coffee flavor, you'll have to pick a dark roast. You can go for a medium roast if you are not into very strong coffee. For these iced coffee recipes, we'll be using espresso - you can use either regular coffee or espresso. Note that you will get a stronger flavor if you use espresso. You can always use milk or sweetener to make it better.

We have provided easy steps on how to make iced coffee at home:

• Make a simple syrup and keep it to chill for 30 minutes or an hour. You can leave this step if you already bought syrup from a store.
• Grind your freshly roasted coffee beans and pull a shot of espresso or regular coffee. Espresso is recommended as it will cool faster once you add the ice.
• Pour the coffee you brewed into a glass filled with ice.
• Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of any syrup you want and add cream as you like.
• Enjoy your iced coffee!

WHAT CAN I ADD TO MY ICED COFFEE?

Some sweeteners and milk options include whole milk, almond milk (if you want plant-based milk), coconut extract, condensed milk, vanilla or chocolate ice cream, Nutella, chocolate milk, and more.

HOW TO MAKE A SIMPLE SYRUP

Normal sugar doesn't dissolve properly in cold drinks, so here's how to make a simple syrup:

• Boil a cup of water.
• Add a cup of sugar into the water.
• Add any other extract you'd like - caramel, vanilla, or mint.
• Chill the syrup for an hour or 2 before using it.

ICED MOCHA

This drink is similar to the vanilla latte. Make syrup as shown above, then add a tablespoon of cocoa powder and add it to the iced coffee. Put ice into a glass, pour a shot or two of espresso, add some milk and pour the chocolate syrup. If you want to be creative, add chocolate milk or 2 drops of mint extract, turning it into an iced peppermint mocha.

ICED CARAMEL MACCHIATO

Fill an empty glass with ice, then add 2 to 3 tablespoons of caramel syrup. Brew the espresso and pour it gently into the cup and add any milk you like. Whole milk makes the drink a lot more creamy and tasty. If you can't get a good caramel syrup from a local grocery, just boil a can of condensed milk for 2 to 3 hours in a large pot.

ICED VANILLA LATTE

Make a simple syrup - boil water, sugar, and any flavoring you like. Pour ice into an empty glass, pull two shots of espresso, and pour it over the ice. Add 1 cup of milk and stir, then add the vanilla syrup. Enjoy your drink.

APPLE ICED COFFEE

You'll need a shot of espresso, crushed ice, ice cubes, 2 oz of apple juice, and one slice of apple (optional).

• Pull a shot of espresso and allow it to cool.
• Add some syrup to the bottom of the glass.
• Add the crushed ice into the syrup.
• Pour the apple juice in a layered form over the back of a spoon.
• Add some cubes and coffee to an ice shaker and shake vigorously for a minute.
• Remove the ice cubes and use a spoon to add the iced coffee to the drink.
• Garnish with a slice of apple.

TIP: Chill the glass for some time before you start brewing for best results.

CAN LEFTOVER ICED COFFEE BE STORED IN THE FRIDGE?

Cold brew can be stored in the fridge for about 3 to 4 days with the lid properly covered. If you are using drip coffee, you can't store it for long - the robust flavors and aromatic compounds will start to disappear as days go by. For more on storage, see: Best Way to Store Coffee Beans.