What is Nitro Cold Brew?

Nitro cold brew is cold brew coffee infused with nitrogen gas, typically served on draft tap. The tiny nitrogen bubbles create a thick, cascading head and a creamy texture similar to a Guinness stout. No milk needed.

The nitrogen does not add flavor. It changes texture. A flat cold brew and a nitro cold brew from the same batch taste different because of mouthfeel, not chemistry.

Starbucks put nitro cold brew in 3,000 US locations in 2019. It has been a standard menu item at specialty shops for years longer.

Nitro cold brew went mainstream when Starbucks started serving it at scale, but specialty shops had been pouring it on draft for years before that. The version at a well-run independent cafe in Portland or Chicago typically uses better coffee and is served more carefully than the chain version.

"Nitro cold brew has more caffeine than regular cold brew because it is served without ice dilution. It also feels like you are drinking something considerably fancier than you are."

Caffeine in nitro cold brew

Nitro cold brew is usually served as an undiluted concentrate because there is no ice to water it down. A 12 oz serving can contain 200 to 280mg of caffeine. That is more than double a standard cup of drip coffee. More on caffeine in how much caffeine is in coffee.

Do not add milk. Do not add ice. Just drink it.

Adding milk or ice to nitro cold brew ruins the texture. The cascade effect and the creamy head depend on serving it directly from the tap into a glass and drinking it as-is. Let it settle for 30 seconds like a Guinness. Then drink. Find it on tap at specialty shops in Seattle and Los Angeles, including Stumptown locations.

Related: What is cold brew?, 10 best iced coffee drinks, Caffeine in coffee.