The Secret to Iced Coffee

     I really love iced coffee in the warmer months.  However, so many places--even outstanding establishments like Gimme Coffee and Blue Bird--"water down" their iced coffee.  That's unthinkable!  Why would you choose the best, sustainable, farily-traded, organic beans--then hand-roast them (to tease out the aromatic compounds), and finally have a skilled barista prepare it... ONLY TO WATER DOWN THE FLAVOR WITH ICE!  Doesn't this "fly in the face" of the entire preparation process for making good coffee?  Isn't it a basic understanding that nobody wants to pay for watered-down coffee or tea?  Even more mind boggling, coffeeshops charge you MORE for ice cube-filled coffee.  Making it worse, why are they charging customers $1.00 extra for ice that dilutes the coffee?  When I ask a barista for a complimentary glass of water, he includes the ice cubes for free.  

     Paying for ice cubes doesn't make sense... so I avoid it.  You should, too.  Scientifically, adding ice to hot-brewed coffee also makes it more acidic, thus ruining its flavor profile.  (Incidentally, that's way I prefer most of my cocktails "up").
     It would seem to me that the ideal way to prepare iced coffee, as I do for myself and my guests, is to prepare coffee as normal, let it cool to room temperature and then chill it.  I might put it in the refridgerator, or I'll serve it in goblets that sit on ice.  No diluted coffee!

If I owned an eatery, that is the smart way that I would use.

      An alternative is pouring some of the coffee into ice cube trays in the freezer.  Combined, those portions make excellent iced coffee, and it preserves the potent flavors.  
     You could also ask your barista for the latest trend: Cold-Brew Coffee.  It's made using a 12-hour extraction: cold water slow-dripped through the grinds.  It still produces a wonderful flavor and less acidic beverage.  
    If this is a novel idea to you, then I'm happy to have shared.