Best Iced Coffee Drinks for Summer: Cardamom Cold Brew Recipes

These four recipes are built around that idea. Each one uses Yasma Coffee products — the Cold Brew pods, the capsules, or the ground coffee — and each one brings the Lebanese cardamom tradition into a format that's made for summer. No complicated equipment. No barista training. Just great coffee, served cold, the way it was meant to be in the warmer months.

Why Lebanese Coffee Works So Well Iced

Most iced coffee is an afterthought — hot coffee poured over ice, diluted and a little bitter. Lebanese Arabic coffee works differently as a cold drink because the cardamom that defines it actually thrives in a cold extraction. The spice releases slowly at low temperatures, which means you get the aromatic, floral quality of cardamom without any harshness. The result is something rounder and more complex than anything you'd get from a standard iced latte.

Yasma's Lebanese Arabica beans add to this. They're medium dark roast, naturally low in acidity, with a smooth body that holds up beautifully over ice without turning bitter or astringent as the ice melts. Whether you're using the Cold Brew pods for a concentrate or pulling a Mazaj Blend capsule straight over ice, the base is built for this.

What You'll Need

You can make all four recipes below with whatever Yasma products you have on hand:

Yasma Cold Brew pods (Original or Cardamom Infused) — the easiest base. Drop a pod in 1 litre of cold water, steep 12–24 hours in the fridge, and you have cold brew concentrate ready to go. One pod makes up to 10 cups, and the brewed liquid keeps for 7 days.

Yasma Mazaj Blend capsules — for recipes that call for a short, concentrated espresso shot. Pull a capsule on your Nespresso Original Line machine and use it immediately over ice.

Yasma Mazaj Ground Coffee — for DIY cold brew made from scratch. 60g per litre, steeped cold for 18 hours, then strained. Full instructions in our cold brew guide.

Now, the recipes.

Recipe 1: Cardamom Cold Brew Tonic

This is the simplest and most refreshing of the four. Cold brew and tonic water sounds unusual the first time you hear it — until you try it. The slight bitterness of the tonic plays against the natural sweetness of the Arabica, and the cardamom provides a floral note that ties everything together. It's effervescent, complex, and unlike anything you've had from a coffee shop.

This recipe works best with the Yasma Cardamom Infused Cold Brew pod, since the cardamom is already built into the brew. If you're using the Original Blend pod or homemade cold brew, add 2 crushed cardamom pods to your water during the steep.

Ingredients (1 serving):

• 120ml Yasma Cold Brew (from pod or homemade)
• 120ml tonic water, chilled
• A generous handful of ice
• 1 slice of orange or a few drops of orange bitters (optional)

Method:

1. Fill a tall glass with ice.
2. Pour the cold brew over the ice first.
3. Pour the tonic water slowly down the side of the glass — this preserves the bubbles.
4. Add the orange slice or a drop of bitters if using.
5. Do not stir. The two liquids will layer beautifully and mix naturally as you drink.

Taste profile: Light, effervescent, gently spiced, slightly sweet. A crowd-pleaser for people who don't think they like coffee.

Recipe 2: Yasma Cold Brew Latte

The everyday summer coffee. Smooth, creamy, cold, and satisfying without being heavy. This is the one you'll make every morning once you have cold brew in the fridge. The oat milk complements the Lebanese Arabica beautifully — its natural oat sweetness pairs with the slightly caramel notes in the medium dark roast.

The Cardamom Infused pod gives you the full traditional experience. The Original Blend gives you something cleaner and more neutral if you want the coffee to lead. Both work.

Ingredients (1 serving):

• 150ml Yasma Cold Brew (from pod or homemade)
• 100ml oat milk (or whole milk, almond milk — your choice)
• A generous handful of ice
• 1 tsp maple syrup or honey (optional)
• A pinch of ground cardamom to garnish (optional)

Method:

1. Fill a glass with ice.
2. Pour the cold brew over the ice.
3. Add sweetener if using and stir briefly.
4. Pour the oat milk slowly over the back of a spoon to create a gentle layered effect.
5. Dust with a tiny pinch of ground cardamom if desired.
6. Stir once before drinking.

Taste profile: Creamy, smooth, lightly sweet, with a warm cardamom finish. The iced coffee you'll make on repeat all summer.

Recipe 3: Iced Mazaj Espresso

This one is for the purists. No milk, no toner, no extras — just a concentrated Mazaj Blend shot pulled hot and dropped straight over ice. The thermal shock creates a slightly viscous, intensely flavoured cold espresso that is nothing like cold brew. It's quick, direct, and seriously good.

You need the Mazaj Blend Nespresso capsule for this recipe. The intensity level 5 roast is specifically what makes this work — strong enough to hold its flavour over ice without being overwhelming.

Ingredients (1 serving):

• 1 Yasma Mazaj Blend capsule
• A full glass of ice (more ice than you think you need)
• A strip of lemon peel (optional but traditional in Lebanese coffee culture)

Method:

1. Fill a glass completely with ice — the more the better, so the shot chills instantly.
2. Pull your Mazaj Blend capsule on the espresso setting (40ml).
3. Pour the hot espresso immediately and directly over the ice.
4. The rapid chill locks in the flavour and creates a slight natural crema on top.
5. Twist a strip of lemon peel over the glass and drop it in if using.
6. Drink immediately.

Taste profile: Intense, clean, bright, slightly sweet from the rapid chill. Fast to make, impossible to put down.

Note: You can also use the Haneen Blend capsule here if you prefer a bolder, more intense hit — it's our intensity 8 roast and holds up exceptionally well over ice.

Recipe 4: Mint Cardamom Iced Coffee

The most Lebanese of the four. Fresh mint and cardamom are the two herbs most closely associated with Arabic hospitality — you'll find them together in tea, in desserts, and on every well-set summer table in Beirut. Together in a cold coffee, they create something unexpectedly refreshing. The mint cuts through the richness of the coffee and makes the cardamom taste brighter.

This recipe works with cold brew or with Mazaj capsules pulled over ice. The cold brew version is smoother; the espresso version is sharper. Try both.

Ingredients (1 serving):

• 150ml Yasma Cold Brew or 1 Mazaj Blend capsule over ice
• 3–4 fresh mint leaves
• 2 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
• 100ml cold water or oat milk
• Ice
• 1 tsp cane sugar or simple syrup (optional)

Method:

1. In the bottom of your glass, gently press the mint leaves and crushed cardamom pods with the back of a spoon — just enough to release their oils, not so much that they tear.
2. Fill the glass with ice.
3. Pour the cold brew or espresso over the ice and herbs.
4. Add cold water or milk and sweetener if using.
5. Stir gently, leaving the mint leaves and cardamom in the glass.
6. Garnish with one fresh mint sprig on top.

Taste profile: Aromatic, fresh, gently spiced, with the clean coolness of mint cutting through every sip. This is the one guests ask for the recipe for.

A Note on Serving These the Lebanese Way

In Lebanon, coffee — even cold coffee — is never just a drink. It is something you prepare with intention and offer to someone. These recipes are designed to be shared: the tonic for a lazy afternoon with friends, the latte for your own quiet morning, the espresso for when you need something sharp and quick, the mint cardamom for a guest you want to impress.

The cardamom is not a flavouring. It's a connection to something that has been part of Arabic hospitality for centuries. When you add those crushed pods to your cold brew or steep them in your glass, you're carrying that tradition forward — just with ice.

Iced Coffee Recipe Comparison

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make these recipes without a Nespresso machine?

Yes — recipes 1, 2, and 4 all use cold brew as the base, which requires no machine at all. Just the Cold Brew pod steeped overnight in your fridge. Recipe 3 (the iced espresso) does need a Nespresso Original Line machine, but you can substitute strong cold brew concentrate for a similar result.

Which Yasma Cold Brew pod should I use for these recipes?

The Cardamom Infused pod gives you the full Lebanese cardamom flavour built into the brew — ideal for the tonic, the latte, and the mint recipe. The Original Blend is smoother and more neutral, which works well if you want to add your own cardamom fresh, or if you prefer a cleaner coffee base.

Can I make cold brew in advance and keep it for the week?

Yes — that's the whole point. One Yasma Cold Brew pod steeped in 1 litre of water gives you up to 10 cups of cold brew. Store it in a sealed jar in the fridge and it keeps fresh for 7 days. Make it Sunday night and you're set until the following weekend.

What milk works best for iced coffee?

Oat milk is the most popular choice for a reason — its natural sweetness and creamy texture complement Lebanese Arabica without overpowering it. Whole milk is richer. Almond milk is lighter. All three work. Avoid strongly flavoured alternatives like coconut milk for these recipes, as they compete with the cardamom.

Try All Four This Week

The best thing about these recipes is that they all start from the same place: great Lebanese Arabica coffee, made cold. Whether you're starting your morning with the latte, serving the tonic to friends on a hot afternoon, or finishing a meal with the mint cardamom — they all carry the same thread of tradition and flavour that makes Yasma coffee different from everything else in the iced coffee category.

Pick one to try today. The ingredients are in your fridge and on your counter. The only thing you need is the coffee.