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Tall glass of lychee rose cold brew over ice with pink floral syrup swirl and lychee garnish on marble surface

Lychee Rose Cold Brew Recipe

An overnight cold brew finished with a homemade lychee rose syrup - floral, lightly sweet, and low in acid.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 12 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 75

Ingredients
  

Cold Brew
  • 1 cup (85 g) coarse-ground medium or medium-dark roast coffee ground to a coarse filter grind
  • 4 cups (950 ml) filtered cold water
Lychee Rose Syrup
  • 1 cup (240 ml) canned lychee packing syrup from one 20 oz can of lychees in syrup
  • 3 tbsp (36 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp (3 g) dried culinary-grade rose petals food-safe, not potpourri
  • 2 tbsp (30 ml) cold water to rinse the rose petals before use
To Serve
  • 2 cups ice cubes
  • 1 cup (240 ml) total cold water or oat milk to dilute cold brew concentrate, about 1:1 ratio
  • 4 pieces fresh or canned lychee fruit optional garnish

Method
 

Make the Cold Brew
  1. Add 85 g of coarse-ground coffee to a 32 oz glass jar or pitcher.
  2. Pour 950 ml of cold filtered water over the grounds and stir gently until all the coffee is wet.
  3. Cover the jar with a lid or plastic wrap and place it in the fridge. Steep for 12 to 14 hours - no longer or it will turn bitter.
  4. Set a fine-mesh sieve over a clean pitcher and line it with a paper coffee filter. Pour the cold brew through slowly. Discard the grounds. Set the strained concentrate aside.
Make the Lychee Rose Syrup
  1. Rinse 3 g of dried rose petals briefly under cold water to remove any dust. Drain and set aside.
  2. Combine 240 ml of lychee packing syrup and 36 g of sugar in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.
  3. Stir until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Add the rinsed rose petals.
  4. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 8 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the syrup smells floral and is slightly thickened. Do not let it boil hard.
  5. Remove from heat and strain the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean glass bottle. Discard the rose petals. Let the syrup cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until ready to use.
Assemble and Serve
  1. Fill a tall glass with ice cubes.
  2. Pour 150 ml of cold brew concentrate over the ice, followed by 60 ml of cold water or oat milk to dilute.
  3. Add 2 tablespoons of lychee rose syrup and stir gently until combined.
  4. Taste and add an extra teaspoon of syrup if you want it a little sweeter. Garnish with a fresh or canned lychee on the rim and serve immediately.

Notes

The syrup will taste more floral once chilled, so hold back on rose petals during cooking if the hot syrup already smells strong. Rest time includes 12 hours of cold brew steeping.