Chilled latte drinkers
If you want coffee ready to serve alongside a winter snack or dessert, consider a chilled latte. Check whether it contains milk or oat before choosing.
Who might choose each format?
At-home mixers
A concentrate suits someone who wants to measure the coffee and choose what to add. Tesco’s preparation directions, for example, use cold water, with milk or a milk alternative as an option.
Shoppers looking specifically for fizz
Choose a product that explicitly says it is sparkling, carbonated or a coffee soda. Convenience Store described Sandows’ sparkling cold-brew sodas in March 2018; that launch report is not a current stock listing.
What should you check before buying?
Start with the drink format, then check ingredients, caffeine information and how you will prepare or serve it.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Fizz | Look for an explicit sparkling or carbonated description. Check whether it describes the drink itself or an ingredient you add. | I want bubbles in the finished drink, not just coffee that was cold-brewed. |
| Milk and oat | Read the ingredients and dietary statements. Marks & Spencer describes semi-skimmed milk in its latte; Sainsbury’s lists Nolo as dairy-free but containing oat. | If I avoid dairy or oat, a creamy appearance alone will not tell me what is in the drink. |
| Caffeine | Look for an explicit decaffeinated label or a stated amount. Sainsbury’s lists 41 mg caffeine per 250 ml bottle for Rodd’s Original Latte. | I want to choose using the drink’s caffeine information, rather than guessing from the words ‘cold brew’. |
| Preparation | Check whether the drink is ready to serve or needs mixing. Tesco directs shoppers to add 100 ml of cold water to 100 ml of its concentrate; follow the directions for the product you buy. | Some days I want to open a chilled drink; other times I would rather measure and mix it myself. |
Mix-ups to avoid
-
Assuming cold brew means sparkling
Cold brewing and carbonation describe different things. A latte or concentrate can be cold-brewed without being a fizzy drink.
If bubbles matter, check that the current pack or product page explicitly describes the finished drink as sparkling, carbonated or a coffee soda.
-
Judging ingredients by the creamy appearance
Marks & Spencer’s cold-brew latte contains semi-skimmed milk, while the Nolo latte listed by Sainsbury’s contains oat.
Read the ingredients and allergen information on the pack, even when a drink is described as plant-based or dairy-free.
-
Treating an old launch as a current listing
Convenience Store reported Sandows’ Original, Citrus and Spice sparkling cold-brew sodas on 28 March 2018. The report does not establish whether those flavours are sold now.
Check a current product listing or shelf label before planning a purchase around a particular flavour.
-
Mistaking a cold-brew cocktail for a soft drink
Sainsbury’s lists a MOTH Espresso Martini containing cold-brew coffee and vodka at 14.9% ABV.
Check the drink category and alcohol-by-volume statement when choosing a coffee drink to serve with food.
Brands and drinks to distinguish
M&S Food
Marks & Spencer describes a chilled Classic Latte Cold Brew Coffee intended to be enjoyed straight from the fridge.
- Its product description pairs cold-brew coffee with espresso and semi-skimmed milk.
- It contains milk and is not described as sparkling. Check the current pack for ingredients.
Tesco Finest
Tesco lists a 500 ml sweetened cold-brew concentrate for mixing rather than serving as a finished latte.
- Tesco’s directions use 100 ml of concentrate with 100 ml of cold water, with milk or a milk alternative as an option.
- Those directions specify cold water, not sparkling water; do not assume the concentrate is carbonated.
Nolo
Sainsbury’s lists Nolo’s Decaf Classic Cold Brew Oat Latte as a decaffeinated, dairy-free oat drink.
- The listing explicitly identifies the latte as decaffeinated.
- It contains oat and is an oat latte, not a sparkling coffee soda.
Rodd’s
Sainsbury’s lists Rodd’s Original Latte as a chilled oat-based coffee drink.
- The listing states 41 mg caffeine per 250 ml bottle.
- It needs chilled storage and is not described as sparkling.
Sandows
Convenience Store reported Sandows’ sparkling cold-brew coffee soda launch on 28 March 2018.
- The launch report named Original, Citrus and Spice flavours and explicitly described the drinks as sparkling.
- The 2018 report does not establish current flavours, formulation or stock.
A Joybuy option for mixing at home
This cold-brew liquid is an option for making a fizzy coffee with sparkling water at home, rather than buying a finished coffee soda.
No image available
J.ZAO Extra-Strong Americano Dark Roast Cold Brew Liquid, 10 × 25 ml
For a fizzy coffee made at home, J.ZAO describes sparkling water as a mixing option; this is not a ready-to-drink soda.
The pack contains 10 × 25 ml pouches. If you track caffeine intake, check the caffeine information on the pack before choosing it.
Common questions
Does cold-brew coffee mean a drink is sparkling?
No. Cold brew describes how the coffee is made, not whether the drink has bubbles. Check for an explicit sparkling, carbonated or coffee-soda description on the product you intend to buy.
Can I adjust a cold-brew concentrate at home?
Yes, follow the directions for the particular concentrate. Tesco instructs shoppers to combine 100 ml of its concentrate with 100 ml of cold water and says milk or a milk alternative can be added; its directions do not specify sparkling water.
What should I check if I want to avoid dairy or choose decaf?
Check the ingredients for milk and look for an explicit decaffeinated label. Marks & Spencer’s latte contains semi-skimmed milk, while the Nolo oat latte listed by Sainsbury’s is labelled dairy-free and decaffeinated but contains oat.
Is every drink mentioning cold brew a soft drink?
No. Sainsbury’s lists a MOTH Espresso Martini made with cold-brew coffee and vodka at 14.9% ABV. Check the alcohol-by-volume statement before choosing a coffee drink to serve with a meal or dessert.