Enter the Iced Coffee Era: The Rise & Rise of Cold Coffee

Coffee: it’s hot, it’s delicious, and we look forward to it every day. But what about when coffee isn’t hot? Iced coffee — that’s more of a summer thing, right? Not anymore! Cold coffee drinks are now ‘hot’ all year round and are especially popular among younger coffee drinkers.

Today, we’re diving into the world of cold beverages to discover why Gen Z is leading the charge into the iced coffee era and find out what’s trending. Let’s go.

It’s official: cold coffee isn’t just for summer

Today, cold coffee is becoming the go-to way for young people to enjoy coffee, with many younger consumers choosing it over the traditional hot version. Iced coffee has found a loyal following in Gen Z, who are choosing it over soda and energy drinks as a regular treat. Studies by Nestlé found that one in every three cups of coffee consumed out-of-home was cold! Beloved for its big bold flavours and social media aesthetics, iced coffee has established itself as a modern coffee staple.

Cold coffees aren’t just popular with those heading to their local cafés, either. Taking their cues from social media, home coffee drinkers enjoy using espresso and instant coffee to create all kinds of creatively flavoured and visually striking cold coffee drinks from the comfort of their own kitchen.

So, what’s trending in cold coffee?

Naturally, here at MILKLAB we haven’t been sleeping on the rise of cold coffee — far from it! And we find there’s no better source of inspo than TikTok, where trends come thick and fast — or fluffy, if you’re into dalgona coffee, where the coffee is whipped into a cloud-like consistency.

Frappés are a big vibe on TikTok, where you can get lost in over 130 million recipes for the chilled classic including everything from DIY-Starbucks recipes to innovative twists on the iconic Greek frappé.

And we’re not just watching from the sidelines — we’re bringing our own chilled MILKLAB creations to the table, so you can enjoy stunning recipes in colLABoration with our friends from Golden Brown. Rohan’s drawn on his legendary skills and palate to deliver a series of incredible iced latte recipes that you’ll want to make right now. The Strawberry Matcha Iced Latte looks perfect in pink and will surely bring plenty of heat to your socials.

Final thoughts

While Aussies still love a hot, fresh espresso coffee, it’s encouraging to see iced coffee evolve from being a seasonal novelty to a year-round staple. We’re excited to see where things will go next — with more and more brands responding with forward-thinking products catering to cold coffee drinkers. So, if you haven’t already, now’s the time to get on board the cold coffee movement — it may be trending, but it’s here to stay.

Step into your iced coffee era with the latest TikTok-topping recipes from Golden Brown over on our Recipes section.