Singapore has a way of turning a five-minute walk to the MRT into an endurance event. By lunchtime, a steaming flat white isn’t what anyone is after. You want something cold, smooth, and strong enough to get you through the afternoon.
That’s where cold brew coffee in Singapore comes in. It tastes softer and sweeter than most hot coffee; it doesn’t turn into watery sadness when the ice melts, and you can make it at home if you’re happy to wait overnight. We also pour it at our One-North café, so we’ve had plenty of time to form opinions. Here’s how cold brew works, how to make a good batch yourself, and what to order if you’d rather have someone else do the work.
What Is Cold Brew Coffee?
Cold brew is coffee that never meets heat. You soak coarsely ground beans in cold or room-temperature water for somewhere around twelve to twenty-four hours, then strain out the grounds. No machine, no steam, no pressure. Just time.
Hot water pulls flavour out of coffee fast, including the sharper, more bitter parts. A long, cool soak pulls things out differently, and the result often tastes rounder and sweeter, with more chocolate, nut, and caramel and less bite. “Often” matters there. Beans, grind, ratio, and steeping time all change the outcome, so one cold brew can taste quite different from the next.
It’s also why some people who say they don’t really like coffee end up liking cold brew. The bite is turned down. The coffee is still there.
Cold Brew vs Iced Coffee vs Cold Drip vs Nitro
These four get mixed up all the time, so here’s the short version.
| Drink | How it’s made | What it tastes like | Time |
| Cold brew | Coarse grounds steeped in cold water, then strained | Smooth, sweet, low bitterness | Many hours |
| Iced coffee | Brewed hot, then chilled or poured over ice | Brighter, sharper, can taste thin as the ice melts | Minutes |
| Cold drip | Cold water drips slowly through the grounds | Clean and delicate, often a little lighter | Hours |
| Nitro cold brew | Cold brew infused with nitrogen, usually served from a tap | Creamy and foamy, soft finish | Same as cold brew |
Iced coffee is the one most people have tried. It’s brewed hot, cooled down, and poured over ice that starts melting straight away. That’s why a slow iced coffee at 3pm can end up tasting like coffee-flavoured water. Cold brew coffee in Singapore is a refreshing choice for warm days, as it’s made cold from the start and holds up much better over ice.
Cold drip and nitro are the fancier cousins. Some specialty cafés serve them, but you don’t need either to get the idea.
Black or White Cold Brew?
At most Singapore cafés, cold brew comes in two basic styles. Black cold brew is the coffee over ice, nothing else. White cold brew has milk added. Which one suits you comes down to what you normally drink.
Black shows off the coffee itself: the sweetness and whatever the beans bring. If you usually take your coffee black, start there. White is softer and feels more like a treat, a bit like the gap between a long black and a latte, only colder. If you’re curious how milk reshapes a coffee, our guide to flat white vs latte vs cappuccino walks through it.
Making white cold brew from a concentrate at home? A decent starting point for the cold brew coffee-to-milk ratio is about half concentrate and half milk, poured over ice. Taste it, then adjust. With a ready-to-drink batch, a small splash is usually plenty.
At Jimmy Monkey One-North, there are five cold brews on the menu: Black, White, Salted Caramel, Gula Melaka and Mocha. As the names suggest, the last three lean sweeter and more dessert-like. Gula Melaka is palm sugar, the same flavour you’d find in ondeh-ondeh or a bowl of sago if you grew up around those. Almond, oat and soy milk are available too. Not sure what to pick? Tell the barista what you usually order, and they’ll steer you.
How to Make Cold Brew Coffee at Home
You don’t need fancy gear. A large jar, a strainer, and a bit of patience will do it. Making cold brew coffee at home is simple, requiring just coarsely ground coffee, cold water, a jar, and enough time to steep.
You’ll need coffee beans, cold filtered water, a jar or jug, a fine mesh sieve, and a paper filter or clean cloth. A kitchen scale helps, because measuring by weight gives you the same result every time.
- Grind coarse. Think coarse sea salt, not table salt. Grinding just before you brew makes a noticeable difference.
- Pick your ratio. For a drink you can pour straight over ice, about 1 part coffee to 8 parts water by weight is a good starting point. That’s roughly 125 grams of coffee per litre of water. For a concentrate you’ll dilute later, try 1 part coffee to 4 or 5 parts water, which is around 200 to 250 grams per litre.
- Combine and stir. Add the grounds to your jar, pour in the water, and stir until everything’s wet. No dry clumps floating on top.
- Steep. Cover it and leave it in the fridge for roughly twelve to eighteen hours. Room temperature works too, but it tends to brew faster and a little stronger, so taste it earlier.
- Strain slowly. Pour through the sieve first, then through a paper filter or cloth. Don’t squeeze the grounds. That’s how you end up with cloudy, bitter coffee.
- Serve over ice. Dilute a concentrate with water or milk until it tastes right to you.
Treat the first batch as a test run. Write down your ratio and steep time, taste the result, and change one thing at a time on the next go.
Beans, Grind Size, and Getting the Strength Right
If your homemade batch doesn’t taste like the café’s, the cause is usually the beans or the grind, so those are worth a look before you change anything else.
The best coffee for cold brew often comes from medium to dark roasts with chocolate, nut, or caramel notes. Brazilian and Colombian coffees are common picks, and they tend to give a round, easy-drinking cup. Brighter, fruitier origins, like many Ethiopian coffees, can work too, but they usually make a lighter, almost tea-like cold brew. Some people love that. Others find it a bit sour. It depends on your taste, so try both. If you’re curious how origin changes flavour, our single-origin coffee guide goes deeper.
The cold brew coffee grind size is where most home batches go wrong. A bitter, muddy, or cloudy result usually means the grind was too fine. A weak, thin, or slightly sour one can mean it was too coarse, or the steep was too short.
To adjust strength, change the ratio first. More coffee per litre makes a stronger drink. If it’s too intense, add water or ice after straining rather than cutting the steep short. It’s much easier to dilute a strong batch than to rescue a weak one.
Caffeine, Acidity, and How Long It Lasts
- Caffeine. Does cold brew have more caffeine than regular coffee? Not necessarily. It depends on the coffee used, the ratio, the extraction, and the serving size. A concentrate can be very strong, but dilution changes how much caffeine ends up in each glass. If you’re sensitive to caffeine, start with a smaller serving.
- Acidity. Cold brew often tastes smoother and less sharp, and a lot of people find it easier to drink. That’s a statement about taste, though. It doesn’t tell you how a drink will sit in your stomach, which varies from person to person. If coffee tends to bother you, try a small serving first.
- Storage. Transfer your cold brew to a clean, sealed container and refrigerate it promptly. How long it keeps depends on how it was made and handled, so there’s no single safe number. Many people finish a plain batch within a few days, and sooner once milk or sugar is in it. If you’re not sure how long it’s been sitting, tip it out and brew a fresh one.
- Warming it up. You can add hot water, and it’ll work fine. It just won’t taste like coffee that was brewed hot.
Where to Try Cold Brew Near One-North
If you’re looking for cold brew coffee in Singapore, our café sits in One-North Residences, a short walk from the MRT. We opened in 2011 as Singapore’s first Slayer Espresso machine café, and we still pour our Ironbark house blend alongside single origins that rotate through the year.
Espresso gets most of the attention, and that’s fair. Even so, Epicure Asia included Jimmy Monkey in its roundup of the best cold brew in Singapore. Published in February 2022, the article described our cold brew as mellow and chocolatey, served over ice to bring out its subtle acidity. If you want to find out what that looks like in a glass, it’s a good place to start.
First time here? Try the Black, so you taste the coffee itself. Come back for the White or one of the sweeter options on a day when you want something closer to dessert. We’re open until 4 pm and serve all-day brunch, so a cold brew stop can turn into lunch without much effort. Known for specialty coffee in Singapore, Jimmy Monkey is also a great spot to enjoy some of the best coffee at One-North. Explore our specialty coffee in Singapore and discover why we’re a favourite for coffee lovers at One-North.
Planning an office event? Our mobile coffee service can bring the same craft to your venue.
Visit Jimmy Monkey One-North
- Address: #01-51 One-North Residences, 9 One-North Gateway, Singapore 138643
- Hours: Daily, 8 AM to 4 PM
- Nearest MRT: One-North
- Parking: Available
- Reservations: Book through our website
FAQs
1. How much coffee do I need for cold brew?
About 125 grams of coffee per litre of water for a drink you can pour straight over ice, or 200 to 250 grams per litre for a concentrate.
2. What grind size is best?
Coarse, like coarse sea salt. A finer grind often turns the brew bitter and cloudy.
3. Is cold brew stronger than regular coffee?
Not necessarily. It depends on the ratio, the extraction, and the serving size. A concentrate and a diluted glass can contain very different amounts of caffeine.
4. Is cold brew less acidic?
It often tastes smoother and less sharp. How it feels for you can vary.
5. How long does homemade cold brew keep?
Refrigerate it promptly in a clean, sealed container. How long it keeps depends on how it was made and handled, so there’s no single safe number. If you’re unsure, tip it out.
6. Can I use pre-ground coffee?
You can, but a lot of pre-ground coffee is too fine and can make cloudy, bitter cold brew. Ask for a coarse grind if you can.
7. Does Jimmy Monkey offer dairy-free options for cold brew?
Almond, oat and soy milk are available. Flavoured options may contain other ingredients, so ask the barista if you have dietary needs.
8. Can I book a table at the One-North café?
Yes. Reservations are available through our website. Booking ahead is a convenient way to plan your visit and enjoy our coffee and all-day brunch at Jimmy Monkey.