Hosts looking to serve sparkling coffee
You can prepare a cold coffee infusion in advance and add the tonic just before serving, as in the recipes from Carte Noire and JURA.
Who are these options for?
Organisers who want quick service
You’d prefer ready-to-serve portions of iced coffee and don’t mind if they aren’t sparkling. Loutsa, for example, offers cold brew in a can.
Hosts welcoming guests of different ages
You want to keep coffee drinks separate from the other buffet drinks and offer a sparkling option confirmed to be caffeine-free for anyone who avoids caffeine. Anses recommends taking particular care with caffeine consumption among children and teenagers.
What should you look for?
Tonic cold brew
Choose this if: you want to combine iced coffee and bubbles in a drink prepared for the buffet.
Bear in mind: the coffee base needs to brew in advance; add the tonic just before serving.
Ready-to-drink cold brew
Choose this if: individual portions of iced coffee are your priority.
Limitation: a can of cold brew, such as the one from Loutsa, won’t on its own meet your aim of serving sparkling coffee.
A sparkling drink served separately from the coffee
Choose this if: you want to offer a fizzy option for guests who don’t drink coffee.
Check: this isn’t iced coffee, and anyone avoiding caffeine will need confirmation that it’s caffeine-free.
| Criteria | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Coffee and bubbles | Plan for an iced coffee base and a sparkling ingredient; check when to combine them. | If I want my guests to enjoy both the taste of coffee and the bubbles, cold brew on its own won’t meet my needs. Around 42% of consumers prioritise both. |
| Caffeine and alternatives | Check the caffeine and ingredient information; label coffee drinks separately. | With children or guests who avoid caffeine, I want to be able to offer another sparkling drink without causing confusion at the buffet. Around 33% of consumers prioritise this distinction. |
| Serving and storage | Compare portion sizes and follow the storage instructions on each product. | When I’m serving several guests, I prefer to minimise mixing and keep drinks stored as directed. Around 25% of consumers prioritise this simple approach to serving. |
Buffet mistakes to avoid
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Assuming “cold brew” means sparkling
Here, cold brew means a coffee base brewed in cold water. In the JURA and Carte Noire recipes, it’s the tonic that adds the bubbles.
To make sparkling coffee, you’ll need tonic as well as the coffee base. For a ready-to-serve drink, check that it’s explicitly described as carbonated.
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Not separating coffee drinks from other drinks
Guests should be able to identify which drink contains coffee. Anses advises particular caution around caffeine for children, teenagers, and pregnant or breastfeeding women.
Label the iced coffee at the buffet and place a separate sparkling option beside it. If it’s intended for people avoiding caffeine, check its ingredients first.
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Starting the brew while setting up the buffet
Carte Noire’s French press recipe calls for 12 hours of brewing in the fridge, so you’ll need to prepare it in advance.
Prepare the coffee base ahead of time according to your chosen recipe, and keep the tonic sealed until serving.
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Confusing another sparkling drink with coffee
Carrefour describes Café de Paris as a sparkling wine and also lists a sparkling grape drink. Neither of these is iced coffee.
Read the product description and ingredients, then serve each drink in its correct category.
Brands to know for this choice
Carte Noire
Carte Noire offers a tonic cold brew recipe made with coffee brewed in cold water.
- Its French press recipe calls for 12 hours of brewing in the fridge to make 1 litre.
- You’ll need to plan ahead and add the tonic at serving time; the brand’s recipe isn’t for a ready-to-serve drink.
JURA
JURA France offers a cold brew tonic recipe combining iced coffee, tonic and grapefruit juice.
- The recipe calls for 90 ml of Cold Brew Café, 45 ml of tonic and 45 ml of grapefruit juice per drink.
- Before making this recipe with your equipment, check how to prepare the iced coffee base it uses.
Loutsa
Loutsa offers cold brew in a can for individual servings of iced coffee.
- The can featured by Loutsa contains 200 ml.
- This cold brew isn’t described as sparkling. If your guests avoid caffeine, check the product information before serving it.
A Joybuy product to serve separately from coffee
This sparkling black tea in cans can be served as a separate alternative to iced coffee. Before offering it to guests who avoid caffeine, check the ingredients on the packaging.
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Lipton Sparkling Black Tea Drink, 330 ml, pack of 24
A sparkling drink to serve separately from coffee: sparkling black tea in a pack of 24 x 330 ml cans.
The product description says “caffeine-free”, but the product information also lists black tea extract. Check the label before offering this drink to guests who avoid caffeine.
Frequently asked questions
Is cold brew always sparkling?
No. Ready-to-drink cold brew isn’t necessarily carbonated. In the Carte Noire and JURA recipes, tonic is added to the iced coffee base to create the bubbles.
What can you offer children alongside sparkling coffee?
Offer a separate drink whose label confirms it’s caffeine-free, rather than presenting sparkling coffee as an option for everyone. Anses recommends taking particular care with caffeine consumption among children and teenagers.
What should you check on a ready-to-serve drink?
Check its product description, ingredients list, allergen information and storage instructions. These details can help you distinguish iced coffee from sparkling tea and other fizzy drinks. The DGCCRF highlights the importance of the information provided on food labels.
When should you prepare tonic cold brew for the buffet?
Prepare the coffee base early enough to allow for the brewing time in your chosen recipe, then add the tonic just before serving. Carte Noire’s French press recipe calls for 12 hours of brewing in the fridge; also follow the storage instructions for the ingredients you use.
Is Café de Paris sparkling iced coffee?
No. Carrefour lists Café de Paris among its sparkling wines. Despite the name, it isn’t a chilled coffee drink.