Taste Test: Ready-to-Drink Cold Brew Coffee

Cold-brewing coffee takes patience. Anyone can throw a couple of ice cubes into a glass. But extracting rich, balanced flavor from beans without heat is a slow, measured process. Thankfully, for those short on time, ready-to-drink (RTD) cold brews abound. The trick is to find cans and bottles that offer quality coffee as well as convenience. These nationally available RTD cold brews do exactly that—and there’s no overnight steeping or advance planning required.

Blue Bottle Bright Cold Brewed Coffee

These petite powerhouses pack a punch. Made with medium-roasted, USDA-certified organic coffee beans, the Oakland, California, label’s cold brew has molasses and toffee flavors plus a smooth, fruity finish. We like it best in a glass over ice. But there’s absolutely nothing stopping you from popping open a chilled can and sipping it straight. $33.99 for 6 8-ounce cans, amazon.com

Stumptown Original Cold Brew

In 2011, Stumptown began selling cold brew in adorably squat 10.5-ounce bottles in its Portland, Oregon, café. Named “stubbies” by the brand, they were an immediate hit and went national soon thereafter. Cold-brewed for more than 12 hours, and then double-filtered, the coffee is full-bodied with a milk chocolate finish. Each bottle stays fresh 2-3 days after opening. $5.39 for 10.5-ounce bottle, wholefoodsmarket.com

La Colombe Cold Brew

From Philadelphia’s third-wave coffee pioneer comes these tallboy cans made from a blend of Colombian and Honduran beans. Delicious on its own or with a splash of milk, the cold brew is bold and chocolatey with molasses aromas and a natural sweetness. $34 for 12 9-ounce cans, lacolombe.com

Nguyen Coffee Supply Classic Black

Made with 100 percent robusta beans sourced from family farms in Vietnam, this is a bright, bold option. Expect chocolate and molasses notes, plus subtle fruity undertones on the velvety finish. Nguyen Coffee Supply also sells an RTD variety pack that includes Classic Black alongside canned cold brews mixed with coconut and condensed milks. $16 for 4 7.5-ounce cans, nguyencoffeesupply.com

Wandering Bear Cold Brew Coffee

Rich and bracing, Wandering Bear’s cold brew is made from organic arabica beans sourced from farms and cooperatives in Colombia, Peru, Mexico, and Nicaragua. Each carton contains the equivalent of four shots of espresso and stays fresh for up to seven days after opening. All of Wandering Bear’s packaging is 100 percent recyclable—including the plastic-seeming caps made of sugarcane. So you can feel good about every sip. $47.69 for 12 11-ounce cartons, wanderingbearcoffee.com

Glasvin “Coffee Jam” Cold Brew

Unhappy with the bitter-tasting cold brews he found in his local market, the founder of a Brooklyn-based glassware label took matters into his own hands. Glasvin works with Paris’ Quasi coffee to sell these elegant bottles—sold individually or in 12-packs—of cold brew across the United States. Made with premium washed beans from Ethiopia’s Sidama region, the coffee is beautifully bright, with stonefruit, citrus, toffee, and floral notes. $10 for 250 ml bottle, glas.vin