It sounded a bit weird to me at first. Iced coffee? I'd had a mouthful of forgotten coffee a few times before, each time more disturbing than the last. "You've got to get passed that 'cold coffee' thought." Explained Jim Cregan, the man behind Jimmy's Iced Coffee. To be completely honest I still wasn't convinced. In my mind if it got colder, surely it would get worse. "You need to think coffee milkshake, or a coffee ice cream," he continued. Sure enough, my preconceptions immediately changed. I quite like coffee ice-cream, maybe it won't be so bad after all.
The first mouthful washed away my rather conservative reservations and the second was like an awakening, a discovery of something new and exciting. For an off the shelf product, Jimmy's Iced Coffee hits the spot. What intrigued me most was the taste memory it provoked in me. There was a memory in there I just couldn't place straight away. After several mouthfuls it occurred to me, a White Russian, the cocktail immortalized by Jeff Bridges in the cult classic The Big Lebowski. Imbibing just as 'The Dude' would in such a situation, I busted out the bottle of vodka from my fridge. In this instance, seeing as the drink in hand was largely coffee and milk I skipped the Kahlua and just spiked the iced coffee with a hit of vodka. For an impromptu White Russian it was damn good, so I had another.
Iced coffee is not a new endeavour by any stretch of the imagination, it is enjoyed throughout the cool and breezy cafes of Vietnam for a start. Brewed coffee is poured with condensed milk over ice, melding together to produce a lively, refreshing drink with a bright sweetness. New Orleans is home to a version of cold brewing coffee with chicory and adding milk and ice at the end which again also enjoys a powerful following throughout the USA. Farmers Union Coffee is an off the shelf iced coffee in Australia that is believed to outsell Coca-cola in the state of Queensland. When chatting to Jim Cregan he tells me the link between the aforementioned Farmers Union and his own Jimmy's Iced Coffee. "I spent a long time traveling through Australia. First thing after a surf, late night driving on the road, hangover giggles, anytime it is amazing. When I came home to the UK I felt a little lost without it and with none available I just thought, you know what, let's do this!" Jimmy has taken his iced coffee brand a long way in the relatively short time he has been going. With a slew of fine food retailers, Selfridges, Harvey Nichols and now Waitrose taking them on, the trend in iced coffee is continually on the incline. I for one am now a convert and for all those Aussies living in Earls Court, well they needn't miss their beloved Farmers Union anymore. We have something slightly better available here. But what do you think, can you get down with iced coffee, or is your bond with a hot cup of Joe too strong to trade?