Better cold brew by design

Better cold brew by design

Join us for a short conversation with Julia Leach, the Director at Toddy, and a proud partner of Standart Issue 23.

Would you tell us a little about the cold brew cupping kit and protocol? Why should we be cupping for cold brew specifically?

If you're going to make cold brew, cup it cold. In the past, specialty coffee that was ultimately destined to become cold brew was cupped hot to explore its flavour profiles. But there’s more than a slight disconnect in evaluating coffee hot when you’re going to brew it cold. This is why Toddy created the Toddy® Cold Brew Cupping Kit.

The industry's first sensory evaluation solution designed specifically for cold brew, the kit enables side-by-side sample comparisons, controlling other brewing parameters to help you focus on the flavour. Pair it with the Toddy® Cold Brew Cupping Protocol and Cupping Form, and you get a solution that permits cold brew cupping to follow a qualitative protocol similar to that used with traditional cupping.

'If you're going to make cold brew, cup it cold.'

Could you share a favourite cold-brew cocktail recipe with us?

Coffee and Campari mix incredibly well together, with the bitter notes of the Italian favourite expanding the boundaries of coffee’s dark, earthy flavours.

Meet Cold Brew Negroni:

  • 45 ml cold-brewed coffee (we used a natural processed Burundi)
  • 45 ml gin
  • 30 ml Campari
  • 30 ml sweet vermouth
  • Orange peel


Stir all of the ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice or serve up in your favourite cocktail glass. Twist the orange peel over the cocktail, then use it as a garnish.

Toddy Cafe - Proud partnership with Standart

Could you give us a preview of the upcoming 29 July event ‘Better Cold Brew with Toddy’?

The catalyst for the development of “Better Cold Brew with Toddy: Exploring the Art & Science of Cold Brew” was the past 16 months or so of isolation brought on by the global pandemic. Like most people and companies, we’ve missed the camaraderie that organically arises when those who are passionate about specialty coffee gather together. So we were looking for ways we could connect until regular in-person trade shows resumed.

But given that international travel isn’t yet a reality for many, we wanted to come up with a way that we could still share notes with cold brew enthusiasts and virtually “meet” them, which led us to schedule a day-long digital experience. The July 29 event is designed to be convenient for those coffee professionals located in both Europe and the United States, with plans in store to feature similar events for other regions in the near future.

Course offerings include Cold Brew 101, Building a Cold Brew Program, Cold Brew Cupping, as well as more specialized topics such as cold brew mixology and an overview of nitro and kegging. There will also be several live Q&A sessions and networking opportunities. The event will conclude with a happy hour and specialty coffee trivia game.

This interview was published in partnership with Toddy.