I love my morning cup of coffee.

It's like a warm hug to welcome me into my day. A warm, caffeinated hug. I like it strong, with a splash of cream. In fact, I'm enjoying a cup of coffee right now.

Yet, summer beckons for a colder drink, and what better way to celebrate summer than making some cold-brewed iced coffee? There's something beautiful about eagerly waiting for something to be perfect, and that's how it goes with iced coffee. So, if you looking for something instant, good luck.However, if you want a delicious, deeply flavored, knock-your-socks-off drink, it's worth the wait.

What is this cold brewing I speak of? It's incredibly easy, and just involves coffee, water, and patience. Grab these things, and you're ready to go:

I find the coffee is easier to mix in if I put it in before I pour the water. Put 1 cup of your favorite coffee in the jar, and pour 3 cups of room temperature water over it. Give it a little stir to mix it up, and let it sit on your counter overnight ( I recommend 10 hours of brewing, but a little more or less won't hurt anything). Since you want it to be cold when you serve it, feel free to put it in the refrigerator for the last couple of brewing hours.

When you're ready to strain it, there are a few ways to do it. I prefer to keep it simple, so I pour the coffee through a fine strainer a couple of times, and this does the trick. Put it in the refrigerator until it's cold, and then you're ready to dress it up!

I don't like tons of ice, so I usually just fill my glass halfway with it, but many people do ice all the way to the top. Pour your coffee over the ice and leave room for the cream.

Now you can begin adding whatever you want to tailor it to your wishes and desires! Here's a few ideas:

Milk (regular, coconut, almond, etc) Creamer Simple Syrup Sugar (coconut sugar is an awesome alternative) Sweetened condensed milk

Iced Coffee 3 cups room temperature or cold water 1 cup ground coffee Cream

Put coffee and water in a container, and let sit for 10 hours. Refrigerate for the last couple of brewing hours. Strain, pour over ice, and add cream. Depending on your serving size, you could get two big glasses out of this, however be warned that this stuff is incredibly strong!

Mmmm....this is going to be my companion while I'm organizing our office. Enjoy!