Cool brews: Indie cafés for iced coffee in Vancouver
Local coffee connoisseurs know the best way to stay caffeinated during the dog days of summer is to go the artisanal iced coffee route: think nitrogen-infused cold brew, effervescent espresso tonics and Vietnamese-style iced lattes made with sweetened condensed milk. If you need to beat the heat with a thirst-quenching beverage, pay a visit to these cool indie cafés in Vancouver.
Revolver Coffee
325 Cambie St, Vancouver BC V6B 2N4The progressive coffee program at Revolver is as surprising and dynamic as the café’s Gastown neighbourhood. The espresso-based drinks are artfully prepared with a rotating roster of beans sourced from around the world. If an iced latte is too milky for your palate, try the made-in-house cold brew coffee. The chilled concoction is steeped overnight for 12 hours and delivers a bold flavour with fruity undertones. Grab a bottle to go and swig directly from the collectible glass flask, or choose to enjoy the cool café interior and pour your cold brew over ice with cream and sugar.
Jamaica Blue Cold Brew
Vancouver BCCold brew coffee has never been hotter, and now you can grab a refreshing bottle on the go courtesy of this popular mobile coffee dispensary. As the name would suggest, Jamaica Blue Coffee Co. specializes in strong concentrated cold brew made with arabica coffee beans grown in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica. The beans are roasted, brewed and bottled locally here in Vancouver. Premium bottles are available from the roaming coffee truck (check Twitter to find out their latest locale) and in grocery stores and specialty shops across the city.
Timbertrain Coffee Roasters Ltd
311 Cordova St W, Vancouver BC V6B 1E5Coffee snobs take note; this Gastown café boasts state-of-the-art brewing equipment that’s sure to get your pulse racing. Behind the bar you’ll spot talented baristas bouncing between the sleek La Marzocco Strada espresso machine, the laboratory-like pour-over station and customized cold brew taps. Global coffee varieties change seasonally and beans are roasted locally in Timbertrain’s warehouse in Langley. There are plenty of options when it comes to seasonal coffee treats: sample the cold brew on tap, try an iced latte or opt for a creamy affogato that sees a double shot of espresso topped with Birchwood Dairy ice cream.
Platform 7
2331 Hastings St E, Vancouver BC V5L 1V6Modelled after a Victorian-era London train station, this elegant coffee bar in East Van will charm you at first sight, and first sip. Cold brew coffee is serious business at Platform 7; visitors will find an array of chilled options prepared with beans from Portland’s Stumptown Coffee Roasters and served ceremoniously at the on-site brew bar. The menu includes made-in-house cold brew coffee, iced espresso-based drinks prepared on the La Marzocco Strada (imported from Florence), and handcrafted martini-style iced brew coffees. For a carbonated hit of caffeine, try an espresso mixed with bubbly tonic water.
The Elysian Room
1778 W 5th Ave, Vancouver BC V6J 1P2Cold brew coffee is totally buzz-worthy (in more ways than one) and Elysian is capitalizing on the trend. The popular roastery and café has installed specialized taps to dispense nitrogen-infused cold brew coffee year round in both caffeinated and decaf varieties. Alternatively, grab the namesake cold brew to go in a convenient take-away glass bottle. There are three Elysian locations across the city but we’re partial to the Mount Pleasant outpost. The industrial-chic café was designed with help from Janaki Larsen (of Le Marche St. George fame) and is flooded with natural light thanks to the floor to ceiling windows.
Matchstick Coffee
639 15th Ave E, Vancouver BC V5T 2R6The folks behind Matchstick Coffee Roasters are meticulous when it comes to selecting high quality, single-origin coffee beans from Guatamala, Kenya, Ethiopia and Honduras. Knowledgeable baristas prepare brewed-to-order iced coffees using a pour-over method that’s slow, methodical and fun to watch as long as you’re not in a hurry. We suggest accompanying your beverage with a double-baked croissant (try to get there early before these sweet treats sell out). Both the Chinatown location and the Mount Pleasant outpost are brightly lit, minimalist and totally Instagram-worthy. The neighbourhood hangouts also have plenty of and free Wi-Fi for laptop-toting freelancers.
Coo Coo Coffee
477 Davie St, Vancouver BC V6B 2G2This unassuming spot on Davie Street in Yaletown offers something a little different than the surrounding coffee chains. Neighbourhood locals love the selection of inventive breakfast sandwiches and the café’s outdoor patio that’s great for people watching and dog spotting. The drink menu features a number of unique specialty lattes with sweet, seasonally inspired flavours such as pumpkin and salted caramel. Vietnamese-style iced coffees are sweetened with condensed milk and are a delightful early morning indulgence. Can’t decide what to order? The always-friendly counter staff will be happy to steer you in the right direction.
Small Victory Bakery
1088 Homer St, Vancouver BC V6B 2W9You’ll smell it before you see it. This Yaletown café attracts a steady stream of customers thanks in part to the enticing scent of fresh-baked pastries down Homer Street. The interior features pale wood floors, white marble counters and gold accents throughout, creating a luxe-modern space that begs to be lingered in. Cold brew is prepared on site in the bakery’s backstage coffee lab. Beans from Seattle’s Slate Coffee Roasters are brewed for six hours before being strained into a concentrate and chilled. Served by the 8-oz. glass, this flavourful cold brew is best enjoyed straight up.
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