Best cold brew in Zurich
Cold coffee in Zurich goes well beyond iced americanos. This guide covers the specialty versions: slow-steeped cold brew, nitro, flash-chilled filter and espresso tonics, and how to tell a carefully made one from a shortcut. Zurich is one of 144 cities with a “Cold brew” guide on Roasters.
The best cold brew in Zurich starts with the same beans the café pours hot: specialty-grade single origins. The difference is the method — long, slow extraction in cold water (12–24 hours) produces a smooth, low-acid concentrate that can be served straight, over ice, with tonic, or on nitro tap.
Beyond classic cold brew, the cafés worth visiting in Zurich also pour Japanese-style iced filter (brewed hot onto ice, preserving brightness) and espresso tonic (a double shot over tonic water — sharp, clean, summer-ready). Roasters surfaces which cafés are serving each.
Cold brew guides: where Zurich ranks
53 cities with this guide list more specialty cafés than Zurich, and 90 list fewer or the same.
67 cities in Europe have enough specialty cafés (30 or more) for a “Cold brew” guide, Zurich among them.
In Switzerland, the “Cold brew” guide also covers Geneva.
Beyond this one, Zurich has 8 more themed guides: WiFi & laptops, Brunch, Open late, Quiet cafés, Running, Espresso, Filter coffee and Matcha.
For context, Zurich is #1 of 63 cities in Switzerland by café count and holds 29% of the national listings.
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About cold brew in Zurich
Is this one of the bigger “Cold brew” guides?
Yes: Zurich ranks #54 of 144 by the number of specialty cafés it lists.
How many specialty cafés does Roasters list in Zurich?
73 cafés and roasters, which puts Zurich at #54 of the 144 cities with a “Cold brew” guide.
Is Zurich the only place in Switzerland with this guide?
No. Geneva has one too.
What's the difference between cold brew and iced coffee?
Cold brew is made by steeping coarse-ground coffee in cold water for 12–24 hours, then filtering. Iced coffee is brewed hot and chilled (or poured hot onto ice, Japanese-style). Cold brew is smoother and less acidic; iced coffee is brighter and closer to its hot original.
What is nitro cold brew?
Nitro cold brew is cold brew infused with nitrogen gas and served on tap. The nitrogen creates a creamy, micro-bubbled mouthfeel and a velvety head — like a Guinness, in coffee form. Several cafés in Zurich have it on tap.
