Coffee is one of the highest profit items in the house, usually generating higher margins than liquor, beer or wine. Yet most of us pay little attention to our coffee service, content to let the staff adequately service the demand. Times have changed, however, and coffee’s unprecedented popularity has opened new opportunities to tap into this phenomenal trend.

Coffee is brewed using boiling water and served piping hot. The boiling water is necessary to extract the coffee essence from the beans. Serving it while still hot is a convention, one born out of the desire to capture the coffee’s freshly brewed flavor. But there is an entire realm of coffee service that challenges this convention and explores the creative possibilities of serving coffee at the opposite end of the temperature spectrum—freshly brewed and icy cold.

There are considerable operational benefits to serving iced coffee, not the least of which is selling coffee in the summer months. While you’re at it, why not sell iced espresso or cappuccinos? There are loads of creative options, as well as numerous applications for iced coffee behind the bar.

Starting with the best tasting coffee possible is essential. For optimum results use freshly ground coffee. Once ground, coffee beans rapidly lose their flavor, so whenever possible, grind beans just prior to brewing. While noisy, grinding coffee conveys freshness, quality and value, not to mention it smells wonderful.

Even at the bar, patrons fully expect decaffeinated coffee to be available and taste every bit as good as the regular house coffee. Another quality tip from the pros is to brew smaller amounts of coffee more frequently. For example, instead of brewing 240 cups at the beginning of the shift, brew one or two pots an hour. If at all possible, brew your coffee with spring or softened water. The hard mineral content in tap water adversely affects the flavor of coffee. Soft water will also extend the life expectancy of your equipment.

Creative Options

There are two approaches to preparing iced coffee drinks. One involves transferring freshly brewed coffee into an insulated glass pitcher or plastic, Lexan® or Rubber Maid® container and store it in the cooler. Once the temperature drops it can be used without hesitation. Hot coffee poured directly into an iced glass may cause the glass to crack due to thermal shock.

The other technique, while more involved, adds a classy touch. Pour the hot coffee into an iced mixing tin or mixing glass, sloping the hot coffee off the back of a spoon. A swirl or two later, the chilled coffee is poured into an iced service glass. The enhanced service is an appealing benefit. Also, if you’re preparing an iced coffee drink, the reciped ingredients can be added to the coffee in the mixing tin.

Most iced coffee drinks are presented in 12-16 ounce glasses, ranging in style from wine glasses and specialty snifters to beer glasses and classic shamrock cafés. A heavy, 16 ounce mixing glass is a popular choice because of its shape and thick, insulating glass.

Creating delicious iced coffee signature drinks is not a complicated process. To begin with, there is a vast array of liquors and liqueurs that marry beautifully with the robust flavor of coffee. Brandy,

rum and whiskey are natural compliments to coffee, as are Kahlua and Tia Maria. Other “can’t miss” liqueurs include Amaretto, Frangelico, Chambord, Grand Marnier and Bailey’s.

Start by offering your guests iced versions of known favorites like the Keoki or Irish coffee, or chill out your own house specialty coffee recipes. Ice down a Toasted Almond Café (Kahlua and Amaretto), Abbey Road (Chambord, Kahlua and Amaretto) or Caribbean Dream (Myers’s Jamaican rum, creme de cacao and banana liqueur). If it’s good hot, it’ll be delicious cold.

Another promotion option to consider is a Mocha Float. Take a scoop of ice cream and drop it into the bottom of a beer mug or thick insulated glass. Pour iced coffee onto the center of the ice cream until the glass is half full, add ice and a dollop of whipped cream. Mix in some Bailey’s and Frangelico, for example, to make a Mocha Jamocha Float. Equally wonderful results can be obtained by adding freshly brewed coffee and ice to such specialties as an ice cream Brandy Alexander or a Myers’s Piña Colada.

Iced coffee also makes an ideal addition to your alcohol-free drinks program. There are numerous alcohol-free liqueurs that you can choose from to flavor iced coffee. Brands such as Arrow, D. J. Dotson and Blanks are excellent choices. Monin syrups from France are produced in a wide range of flavors and can enhance the flavor of coffee-based drinks without adding a cloying sweetness or drop of alcohol.

Profiting With Iced Espresso

The burgeoning popularity of espresso and cappuccino make them perfect candidates for an icy reception.

For a refreshing change of pace, pour freshly brewed espresso into an iced mixing glass. Swirl briefly and strain into an iced brandy snifter and present with a twist of lemon. To heat things up, add Amaretto, Kahlua, Anisette or Sambuca, each being well-suited for the concentrated flavor of espresso.

To make iced cappuccinos, begin by pouring 4-5 ounces of hot espresso coffee into an iced mixing glass, swirl and strain into a tall specialty glass. Add ice and spoon on the frothed, steamed milk. Properly frothed milk should be compact, tightly-knit and long-lasting, similar to the head on a well-crafted beer. For a twist, flavor the milk with a touch of hazelnut or chocolate syrup prior to steaming. It adds a fabulous aroma and taste to the cappuccino. Garnish with a dusting of powdered cocoa or a sprinkle of shaved chocolate.

Cappuccinos are usually prepared with equal parts of hot espresso coffee and frothed milk spooned on top. There are several notable variations, the Café Au Lait is made with equal parts of espresso and frothed milk; the Café Latte is made with 1⁄3 espresso and 2⁄3 (slightly frothed) steamed milk, and the Mochaccino, equal parts of espresso coffee and frothed chocolate milk or cocoa.

There is no dirth of great tasting iced cappuccinos drink recipes. The Sovereignty features equal parts of Chambord, Tia Maria and creme de cacao; Le Bistro is made with Benedictine D.O.M., Brandy and a float of Di Saronno Amaretto; and the Iacocca is made with Kahlua, Bailey’s, Grand Marnier and a float of Frangelico.