The Navigator's Salted Maple Cold Brew

This summer, the biggest trend in coffee is "swavory"—the perfect balance of sweet and savory. I wanted to create a recipe that taps into this trend without requiring any complicated ingredients or barista equipment. The rich, natural sweetness of pure maple syrup combined with a pinch of coarse sea salt brings out the absolute best chocolate and caramel notes in a cold brew. I highly recommend using the Terra Incognita or Latitude 15 roast for this one—they both create a smooth, bold base that cuts through the milk perfectly.

What You’ll Need:

• The Coffee: 1 cup of coarsely ground Exploration Coffee

• The Water: 4 cups of filtered, cold water

• The Flavor: 1 to 1.5 tablespoons of pure maple syrup (the real stuff!), plus a pinch of coarse sea salt

• The Mix-ins: Ice and your favorite milk (oat milk is fantastic for this recipe)

• The Gear: A standard French press or a large mason jar

The Trail Guide:

1. The Steep

Add your coarsely ground coffee to your French press or mason jar. Pour the cold, filtered water over the grounds, giving it a gentle stir with a wooden spoon so everything is fully saturated.

2. The Wait

Cover your container and let it rest in the fridge for 14 to 16 hours. I usually prep this right before I close things down for the night, so the extraction happens while I sleep and it's ready to pour the next morning.

3. The Strain

If you’re using a French press, slowly press the plunger down. If you opted for the mason jar, pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve or a paper coffee filter into a clean pitcher. You now have a bold, smooth cold brew concentrate.

4. The Destination

Fill your glass to the brim with ice. Pour your cold brew concentrate until the glass is about halfway full. Stir in your pure maple syrup and that crucial pinch of coarse sea salt until dissolved. Top off the glass with a splash of oat milk, give it one last gentle stir, and enjoy the perfect balance of sweet and salty!

Pro-Tip: Your cold brew concentrate will stay fresh in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week. To scale up the flavor for a whole batch, just remember the golden ratio: roughly 1 tablespoon of maple syrup and a tiny pinch of salt per serving!