Best way to make Iced Coffee

When the temperatures rise, so do the orders for iced coffees in every traditional coffee house in Vienna.  

Get the authentic Viennese coffeehouse feeling easily and quickly to your home. You'll be ahead of the game with this delicious stirred iced coffee recipe. 

Stir up a delicious traditional Viennese iced coffee in minutes with four ingredients only. 

This yummy beverage gets its significant creamy consistency by stirring vanilla ice cream into the coffee! 

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The stirred version is one of many ways to prepare a delicious iced coffee. 

The stirred iced coffee and the unstirred iced coffee include a double espresso shot.

And the iced latte, made with one espresso shot, sweetened syrup, and replenished with milk, is another fantastic way to make a delicious ice-cold caffeinated drink. 

Jump to:

• 🥘 Ingredients
• 🔪 Instructions
• 🥜 Substitutions
• ☕️ Different methods of preparing iced coffee
• 🍽 Equipment
• 🌡 Storage
• 💭 Top tip
• 🥛 How to create Cold Milk Foam?
• 🇦🇹 Viennese Coffee House Culture
• ✈️ 8 Famous Traditional Viennese Coffee Houses
• 📖 Recipe
• 🍸 You might also like
• ⛑️ Food Safety
• 💬 Comments

🥘 Ingredients

• Espresso - or strong coffee (black)
• Ice cubes
• Cold water
• Vanilla ice cream - homemade or store-bought
• Whipped cream - for garnishing

See the recipe card for quantities.

🔪 Instructions

Step 1

To cool down the coffee already during preparation, fill 4-6 ice cubes into a metal pot and brew the double espresso directly on the ice cubes into the metal pot. 

Step 2

Then extend the espresso with ice-cold water directly in the metal pot and set it aside.

Step 3

Use a tall mixing bowl and add 2-3 scoops of vanilla ice cream. Pour the prepared extended coffee into the bowl and combine the two with the mixer for about 15 seconds. 

Step 4

Transfer the creamy mixture into a serving glass and garnish with whipped cream or cold milk foam. 

Done!

As you can see, you can prepare this dessert drink in no time. Enjoy it!

🥜 Substitutions

The traditional preparation of a Viennese iced coffee uses a double espresso. Nevertheless, it is possible to prepare it using a strong black coffee or a cold brew coffee. It then just gets a slightly different taste. 

☕️ Different methods of preparing iced coffee

• Stirred iced coffee (original Viennese iced coffee) - As described in the post
• Unstirred iced coffee - Without stirring, makes a lovely dark coffee with a light vanilla ice cream color accent!
• Iced coffee - with cold brew coffee
• Iced latte - with milk and syrup
• Italian iced coffee - double espresso with vanilla ice cream
• Chocolate iced coffee - with chocolate ice cream

🍽 Equipment

• Tall mixing bowl
• Electric Hand mixer
• Metal pitcher
• Ice cream scoop
• Drinking glass - for serving

🌡 Storage

We recommend preparing this drink fresh. Leaving the ready-mixed iced coffee to sit for a long time will make it warm and lose its refreshing effect!

🥛 How to create Cold Milk Foam?

There are three possibilities here. 

Variant 1: If you have a cocktail shaker, put ice cubes and milk in it and shake well. 

Variant 2: Take the milk container out of the fridge and shake it well for 1-2 minutes. Carefully empty the milk foam created by the shaking. 

Variant 3: With an electric milk frother. This handy device froths the cold milk in a small jug.

🇦🇹 Viennese Coffee House Culture

The tradition of Viennese coffeehouse culture is characterized by a very special atmosphere. Typical of a Viennese coffeehouse are marble tables on which coffee is served, Thonet chairs, boxes, newspaper tables, and details of interior decoration in the style of historicism. The coffee houses are a place "where time and space are consumed, but only the coffee is on the bill".

The history of the Viennese coffeehouse began towards the end of the 17th century and was closely linked to the Turkish siege. The first Viennese coffeehouse was founded by the Armenian spy Deodato, who was entrusted by the Viennese court with the preparation of coffee. In 1720, Kramer's coffee house on the Graben was the first to also serve newspapers.

From 1803 to 1813, Viennese coffee makers were severely tested by Napoleon's Continental Blockade on trade with England. The duty on coffee beans became so high that they could hardly be afforded. When Austria joined the trade blockade in 1808, the Viennese coffee houses were on the verge of ruin. During this time, however, they were allowed to serve wine and hot food for the first time. With the end of the trade embargo, coffee was also offered again. Initially reserved for men, women were finally allowed in, in 1856. The coffee house became a place of transnational literary communication and also played a not insignificant role in politics.

The Club of Viennese Coffeehouse Owners was founded in 1956 by an association of traditional and innovative coffeehouses in Vienna. One of its most important tasks is the promotion of cultural projects in the coffee houses. Regular joint training courses and excursions are undertaken in order to deepen professional knowledge and cultivate sociability. It acts as a central point of contact for all those interested in coffee culture.

Source: unesco.at

✈️ 8 Famous Traditional Viennese Coffee Houses

• Café Diglas
• Café Landtmann
• Café Central
• Café Hawelka
• Café Sperl
• Café "Alt Wien"
• Café Westend
• Café Schwarzenberg

📖 Recipe

⛑️ Food Safety

• Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
• Wash hands after touching raw meat
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.