Cold drip

A slow, gravity-fed cold extraction where ice-cold water drips one drop at a time through a bed of grounds over 3–12 hours. The setup is usually a tall tower with a water tank on top, grounds in the middle, and a collection vessel at the bottom.

Why it matters — Cold drip produces an intense, syrupy concentrate with a clean, almost liqueur-like character. It's different from immersion cold brew — cold drip is more aromatic, less heavy.

Good to know

• Pre-soak the grounds with a small amount of cold water before starting the drip — uneven saturation produces channelling, just like espresso.
• Target one drop every 1–2 seconds. Faster and you under-extract; slower and you're producing a concentrate so strong it's hard to dilute well.