Betches have sworn by iced coffee forever, but recently, the trend has spread to literally everyone. Like, the magic of iced coffee used to be this amazing underrated secret between us and a few hipsters, but now, every human being is Instagramming their cold brew like they’re an influencer, and so a million coffee shops have stepped up and completely mastered the drink. If you’re in NYC this summer and you’re trying to navigate through the coffee shop options on every corner, look no further. Luckily for you, we’re here all year-round and we’ve tried every cold brew and iced Americano in the area. Here are the best ones:
1. Toby’s Estate Coffee
Toby’s Estate is the holy grail of coffee in New York. I mean, every single person at their Williamsburg location has a man bun and a beard, so you know they serve good shit. Their small batch coffee is made in Brooklyn, but they also have a few locations around the city, so find one that’s close to you and order their cold brew. I mean, we can’t promise you’ll never walk into Starbucks again, but you’ll definitely look down on everyone in line.
2. Happy Bones
Happy Bones is a Nolita coffee shop that just gets us. Their drinks are almost as pretty as their tortoise colored spoons that match your new Warby Parker sunglasses, and their iced coffee is unbelievable. Plus, it’s conveniently located near some of our fav brunch spots, like Butcher’s Daughter, EggShop, and Jack’s Wife Freda, so you can get your avocado toast and iced coffee fix in one trip. We can’t make this shit up.
3. La Colombe
The La Colombe line looks long and intimidating, but it moves fast and this coffee is worth it. Most locations only take cash, which is obv an annoyance, but if you come prepared, you won’t be let down. La Colombe works directly with coffee farmers around the world to use exotic, rare coffee beans that taste so much better than American coffee. Whether you’re a coffee connoisseur or are just looking for something to help you open your eyes before 9am, you’ll die for this coffee.
4. Hi-Collar
Hi-Collar is an authentic Japanese cafe that specializes in a rare Siphon coffee during the day and turns into a dope sake bar at night. They let you pick your coffee bean, and then choose between a regular Japanese iced coffee, a cold brew “Mizudashi” coffee, or an AeroPress iced coffee, which are all amazing, even if we don’t really know what they are. You can also add a scoop of gelato in your iced coffee for another $2, which we totally won’t judge you for. I mean, it’s ice cream in your coffee.
5. Mud
Mud, also known as Mud Spot, serves coffee that many locals (hi) have referred to as “crack.” This East Village coffee shop has been around for a while, so you’ll definitely be judged when you start Snapchatting a picture of your latte. With that being said, their iced coffee is refreshing and naturally sweet, so you don’t need to add a bunch of shit to make it drinkable. They also have a backyard restaurant that serves amazing brunch, so it’s basically a one-stop hangover cure.
6. Dean & Deluca
Dean & Deluca is the OG bougie New York hotspot. Like, Upper East Side moms have been buying their organic produce here for years and won’t even look at Whole Foods, so you know it’s the real deal. But whether their imported $18 almonds are worth it or not, their iced coffee definitely is. We love that Dean & Deluca’s iced coffee is strong enough to get you through the day but not any overkill level that will make you shaky for an hour. Oh, and buy their peanut butter cookie if you must. It’s obviously staring at you.
7. Zibetto Espresso Bar
Don’t walk into Zibetto Espresso Bar expecting to order a cold brew with almond milk and four Splendas. This Italian coffee shop is authentic as fuck, so you’re getting a cold espresso shot called the Shakerato, and you’ll love it. I mean, any betch who went abroad to Florence can already appreciate this European version of a cold brew, so get on board. It’s basically a shot of espresso mixed with simple syrup and shaken with ice, and it’ll become your new go-to fuel. It might even be worth the trek to midtown.
8. O Cafe
If you’ve ever tried Panther Coffee in Miami, you’ll notice the coffee at O Cafe tastes weirdly familiar. That’s because it’s made from the same beans, and it’s a fucking hidden gem. The coffee beans come from exotic places like Brazil, South America, and Africa, and trust us when we say their cold brew is liquid gold. Plus, the actual cafe is adorable if you have time to sit for a sec and stare at the organic carrot muffin on the table next to you.
