How to Make a Nitro-Style Cold Brew
Get a creamy, cascading head at home by hard-shaking cold brew — the closest thing to draft nitro without a tap.
- Serves
- 1 (10 oz)
- Time
- 2 min
- Skill
- Easy
- Gear
- Shaker (no nitrogen tap needed)
Ingredients
- 240 ml cold brew (undiluted-ish)
- No ice
- A cocktail shaker
Method
- 1
Add cold brew to a cocktail shaker with no ice.
- 2
Shake very hard for 20–30 seconds to whip air into it.
- 3
Pour into a glass and let the cascading micro-foam settle into a creamy head.
Best results: Skip the ice and shake dry — the tiny bubbles are what create the signature nitro cascade.
Why it works
True nitro cold brew is infused with nitrogen gas through a pressurized tap, which is what gives it that Guinness-like cascade and creamy head with no dairy at all. Hard-shaking dry (no ice) mimics the effect by whipping a cloud of fine air bubbles into the coffee — not identical, but a genuinely close, equipment-free approximation of the texture.
Frequently asked
Can I make real nitro cold brew at home without a tap?
Not truly nitrogen-infused, but you can fake the texture convincingly by shaking undiluted cold brew hard with no ice for 20–30 seconds, which whips in the microfoam that creates the cascade and creamy head.
Why no ice for nitro-style?
Ice waters it down and disrupts the foam. Shaking it 'dry' concentrates the coffee and lets the tiny air bubbles build the signature creamy cascade instead of melting away.
Keep brewing
Make it with Moksha
Organic, small-batch coffee — roasted fresh and shipped to your door.