Infuse Your Menu With Nitro

Nitrogen-infused coffee isn’t necessarily a new concept, but Friedrichs’ head roaster, Sammy, shares why he thinks nitro coffee will become a foundational product on café menus.

Sammy is often behind the scenes but is an integral part of our roasting and coffee making process.

Nitrogen-infused coffee is “a complex and unique drink that has a large array of factors that change the end experience,” Sammy says. Nitro coffee is unique in its varying end products, and despite the scientific ring to its name, it’s not a niche product. Rather, it’s a beverage people can get on board with.

“It is definitely something everyone can enjoy,” Sammy says. “I’ve seen many people who are, at first, “non-coffee drinkers” try this and enjoy it.”

We at Friedrichs Coffee Roaster’s don’t have a secret recipe to follow, but the quality is key to setting your product apart from the masses.

“We start with a high-quality bean and use a roast process that takes the bean to a medium-dark level,” Sammy says. “We find it’s the most enjoyable nitro coffee end result.”

Even without a specific recipe, Sammy has discovered a few tricks to help create the product your customers crave. “Using pure nitrogen only as gas, understanding how head pressure in the top of a keg can push the liquid out efficiently on its own and using a carbonating stone when the final product is in the keg (for quick infusion) are important pieces to incorporating nitro brew into a café menu,” Sammy says.

He has even discovered a strategy for café owners trialing nitro brew. “Stirring the cold brew while it’s steeping will bring out undesirable flavors,” Sammy says. “Stick to leaving it alone for 18-24 hours and refrigerate, if possible.”

Is nitro brew here to stay? Sammy sure thinks so! “I see café trends getting back to the roots of coffee, water and nitrogen,” Sammy says. “No sweeteners or short cuts that seemed common at first. I see nitro coffee becoming a staple in coffee shops.”