WE’RE OBSESSIVE ABOUT OUR COLD BREW

We say things like ‘meticulously crafted’ but really we mean ‘up at night thinking about a slightly different grind size.’ That’s why we use organic certified beans, ground coarse and micro sifted for even size, brewed slow for 18 hours and cold filtered, creating the strongest, most flavorful coffee possible, in 100% post-consumer recycled bottles.

We don’t know why we are like this. Just please enjoy our coffee.

THE COFFEE PLANT

We use organic certified Arabica beans. Why? After thousands of cups of testing, we believe they’re the best for cold brew.

Arabica beans are grown at higher altitudes, typically produce smaller yields and are known to have more aromatic oils and sugars which lead to more complex, but less harsh flavors overall than robusta. Robusta is easier to grow, and less prone to disease, thus typically used for mass-produced ground coffees. Arabica is usually a higher-priced, premium bean.

We’ve searched high and low, near and far and have sourced a small selection of what we consider the highest quality and best-tasting arabica beans used for cold brewing. Let’s face it, it was hard work, but brewing hundreds of batches wasn’t all that bad, and in the end we’ve settled on some pretty delicious beans.

THE ORGANIC BEAN

We start with USDA Certified Organic whole bean coffee (with the exception of our non-organic decaf blend) grown in some of the world’s premiere coffee regions of Guatemala, Peru & Nicaragua. No surprise, a good cup of coffee starts with a high-quality clean bean.

The lack of synthetic pesticides in the growing process mean better tasting and healthier coffee for us and the planet. Traditional, non-organic commercial coffee is one of the most chemically treated crops in the world, and if you ask us, that’s a major buzz kill.

ROASTING

Before roasting, coffee beans are green, in a state that can be stored without loss of quality or taste, but they don’t resemble the characteristics of a roasted bean yet -- it’s soft and spongy when chewed and smells kind of grassy.

The roasting process is as much art as it is a science. We roast different origins to different levels, cold brew them, and test which version tastes the best.

Fun fact: Contrary to popular belief, light roasts generally have a slightly higher caffeine concentration since coffee expands when it is heated, meaning less coffee per volume in a brew.

LIGHT ROASTS

Highest acidity, more dense since less water has been dried out, and is characterized as tasting bright, fruity & herbal. Slightly more caffeine than other roasts, especially by volume.

MEDIUM ROASTS

Begins to look oily on the surface, is balanced between acidity and body, and is the most preferred type of coffee roast amongst Americans.

DARK ROASTS

Oily, bold & rich. Taste characterized as chocolate & caramel. The least dense and therefore will have the least amount of caffeine if brewed by volume.

THE GRIND

The grind is one of the most important parts for getting a good, consistent cold brew, and we take it very seriously at Bizzy.

Make the particles too small and you’ll get over-extracted and bitter tastes. Make them too coarse and you will get under-extracted and sour coffee. We use high-precision roller grinders and micro-sifting (something most ground coffee companies don’t do) to ensure we’re only left with the perfect coarseness for cold brewing everytime.

BLADE GRINDERS

Blade grinders are essentially blenders for grinding coffee. It utilizes a spinning blade that slices the beans into smaller and smaller pieces depending on the length of time that you grind for. Generally the least expensive option with the least control over grind size consistency, leaving uneven-sized grounds. They are also loud. The heat generated from the rapidly spinning blades can also affect the taste of the coffee later on.

BURR GRINDERS

A level of sophistication above a blade grinder, conical burr grinders are considered the best type of small batch grinder available for at-home brewing but are a bit more expensive than blade grinders. They work at slower speeds, so don’t generate as much heat, and typically have settings to adjust for coarseness. Burr grinders work by grinding the coffee between a spinning grind wheel and serrated outer ring and come in electric and manual options, which make them convenient for situations where you may not have access to power.

ROLLER GRINDERS

We use roller grinders for our grounds at Bizzy. These are high precision instruments that are used for grinding large quantities of coffee to very specific coarseness. They are extremely expensive and not typically found in home settings. They work by passing coffee through two independently rotating rollers that move at slightly different speeds in the same direction. This difference in speed creates a shear force, rather than a compressive force and effectively cuts the coffee particles into precise sizes as opposed to crushing it. To prevent overheating, and to keep the extremely tight tolerances needed to produce consistent results, the rollers are cooled internally with water throughout the process.

MICRO-SIFTING

Micro-sifting is a process that sets our coffee apart from the rest.

After the coffee has been ground through the rollers, it’s then passed through a series of sieves that filter out the unwanted particle sizes.

We’re then left with the perfect coarseness for cold brewing, a particle size we’ve developed from years of research and testing.
 

This extra step ensures a consistent and delicious cup of cold brew.

THE BREW

Finally, the coffee is ready for cold brewing.

See our store locator for our ready-to-drink cold brew, brewed slow for 18 hours in our own brewery. Or find our ground coffee and brew bags on Amazon.

WHAT SETS OUR READY-TO-DRINK COLD BREW APART FROM THE OTHERS?

It’s our obsessive attention to the details along every step of the process that sum up to a great product.

Naturally we start with the water, and since we’re obsessed with making the best cold brew in the world we use reverse osmosis water purification to get rid of unwanted molecules and larger particles from the water before it’s brewed.

We also use stainless steel tanks and monitor the temperature of our brewing facility 24 hours a day to make sure everything stays consistent from brew to brew. It may sound crazy to some, but every little variable has an effect on the outcome, so we do our best to control it all.

Time is of the essence when it comes to cold brewing. In fact, that's how cold brew coffee is possible, by replacing heat for time in the brewing equation.

We brew every batch of Bizzy for 18-hours, a total of 8 hours longer than most other cold brews on the shelf.
 
Yes, that’s a long time. But this gives us the boldest, smoothest flavor and caffeine kick without having to compensate with additives.

Putting the smoooooth in cold brew.

Let’s get one thing straight. Heat should never be involved in the cold brew process. It defeats the entire purpose. The lack of heat and lengthier brew time is what gives cold brew its distinct flavor characteristics that are sought after over its hot coffee counterpart.

The end result? Smooth, strong cold brew.