cold brew

1 of 2

noun

variants or cold brew coffee or cold-brew coffee
plural cold brews or cold brew coffees or cold-brew coffees
: a beverage prepared by steeping coffee grounds for usually 12 to 24 hours at room temperature or cooler and straining before serving cold
… said he had to stop in and try their coffee, and ordered a cold brew.Tim Hawk
After you've steeped and filtered your cold brew you should store it in your fridge.Jamie Stedmond
… many cold-brew coffees are offered as a ready-to-drink product …Oliver Strand

cold brew

2 of 2

verb

variants or cold-brew
cold brewed or cold-brewed; cold brewing or cold-brewing; cold brews or cold-brews

transitive verb

: to brew (coffee, tea, etc.) by steeping at room temperature or cooler

Examples of cold brew in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Amavida Coffee Roasters offers cold brew and espresso shots to give you that morning jolt before or after a long walk. Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 15 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

2000, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1988, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cold brew was in 1988

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cold brew.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cold%20brew. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!