Today is Halloween, and you know what that means? It means that Christmas products have already been on store shelves for like, a week now. The early Christmas retail push is, for some, an annoyance. It’s a reminder that time is slipping through our fingers faster than a flying reindeer and that there’s nothing we can do about it.
In recent years, though, I’ve mustered some gratitude for the Early Christmas Retail Push (yeah I’m capitalizing that now). Why? Because it serves as a *very* helpful reminder that gift-giving season is nigh and I want to be prepared like the smart, frugal, thoughtful adult that I am and not some scrambling, sweaty, last-minute relier on 2-day shipping.
Planning ahead when it comes to gifts can also afford you the time to *make* your gifts, and how adorable (read: affordable) is that?! It’s an easy way of saying “I’m thinkin’ about ya”, while also passing along some simple pleasure that folks don’t often make for themselves. Like canned apple butter, hot cocoa mix, or cookies. Literally, nobody doesn’t love edible gifts.
I’m betting at least ¾ of the people on your gift list are fans of coffee. If you’re thinking of going down the handmade gift trail this year, look no further for inspiration. Today we’re sharing a recipe for cold brew concentrate that will please every manner of coffee drinker AND can fit in a stocking. Cold brew is such a great alternative to gifting whole-bean coffee, because it’s essentially ready-to-drink, upping the luxury factor that we all crave in a gift, and it’s cost-effective to make a big batch for several people. Not to mention cold brews vast versatility: splash it with some Irish cream over ice for a quick holiday cocktail, add it to a coffee cake recipe for a little extra something, toss it into a smoothie with bananas and nut butter for an extra boost. Cold brew concentrate is truly a thoughtful gift that goes beyond its more obvious uses.
So what are you waiting for? Grab a few bags of Methodical coffee (I personally recommend the Belly Warmer) and follow our recipe for the best handmade gift your friends and family will receive this holiday season.
Cold Brew Concentrate
*makes 5 cups*
You’ll need:
- 12 oz coarsely ground coffee, about the size of raw sugar
- Large container, like a beverage dispenser or big pot
- Cheesecloth
- Mesh kitchen sieve
- Glass bottles for packaging
Directions:
- Put the ground coffee in your large container and steadily pour 7 cups of water over the grounds. Stir the mixture to ensure all grounds are wet. Cover the container with Cheesecloth.
- Let stand overnight at room temperature (about 12 hours).
- Line a mesh sieve with the cheesecloth and pour the cold brew mixture through it into a pitcher. Toss the cheesecloth and all coffee solids, or add them to your compost pile :)
- Line the same mesh sieve with a double-folded piece of cheesecloth and strain a second time. This step is important – you don’t want any sludge in your cold brew.
- Pour the cold brew into glass bottles for gifting. Make sure to tell the recipients that this is a concentrate–it needs to be mixed 1:1 with milk or water before drinking. This recipe will fill 3 of these bottles or 5 of these bottles. Need more gifts? Doubling the recipe is easy. Tie it up with a string and a handwritten note, then go make some merry.
Written by Angie Thompson
