Many writers, not all, have something in common with one another besides the need to put words down on paper. They thrive on coffee. I personally drink way more of the liquid gold than I probably should. We’re talking a pot a day kind of habit here. That being said, coffee is often part of the writing ritual. I pour a cup, sit down at the kitchen table in the sunshine, boot up my computer, take a few sips while it’s still hot enough to burn my mouth. By the time the caffeine is beginning to enter my system my computer has awoken. I rub the sleep from my eyes and begin writing.

The afternoon coffee habit isn’t much different except for one key thing…it’s cold. 

Around 1 o’clock the coffee dragon raises his sleepy head and demands that I make another pot. But it’s summer, it’s hot, and I don’t want to drink anything warm. So I make iced coffee and I fatten it up with an abundance of coconut milk, or when I’m feeling naughty I use chocolate coconut milk – yum!

Here’s how I make it and some fun variations you might want to try.

First things first…you want to begin any iced or frozen coffee beverage with concentrated coffee. We use our coffee maker for this and pour four cups of water in the back with 4 scoops of coffee (basically you double the strength. You could pour five cups of water into your coffee maker and use 5 scoops of ground beans.) Once the very strong coffee is made, you have two choices. You can pour it over a few cups of ice and let it cool. It’s then ready to add your favorite mixins like milk and sugar, or you can put it in the refrigerator and let it cool for future use.

Future Use…A Frozen Coffee Delight

• Using that undiluted coffee concentrate that’s now cold, add about 6 ounces to your blender.
• Add 8 ounces of milk (I use coconut milk but you can use whatever you prefer. Whole milk makes a very creamy drink)
• Add two cups of ice
• Blend using the frozen drinks button on your blender

Pour into a tall glass and enjoy!

Add Ons to Kick Your Frozen Coffee Up a Notch

Consider adding different flavors to take it to another level:

• Vanilla
• Caramel
• Ice cream instead of milk and ice
• Flavored milk, like vanilla or chocolate
• Baileys Irish Creme, Khalua, or your favorite coffee liquer.

Tomorrow, I’ll have a handy checklist of tips and tools to keep you writing all summer long – no matter how hot it gets! In the meantime stay cool and check out these other frozen coffee drink recipes:

http://www.abeautifulmess.com/2012/06/homemade-iced-coffee.html

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/06/perfect-iced-coffee/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/05/iced-coffee-recipe-cold-brew_n_3017183.html