The views expressed in this Opinion article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.
McDonald's Canada has added new cold brews to their McCafe menu, and as a devoted lover of that beverage and of McDonald's coffee in general, I knew it was my duty to give it a try.
Given that Starbucks and Tim Hortons also have cold brews on their menu, I decided to do a comparison between the three in order to ascertain which store I should be stopping at when I want to pick up a treat.
"Good things take time. Just as the cold-brew process enhances the smooth, delicious flavour of cold brew, we invested time in perfecting our recipe and are confident our guests will love it," said Chef Jeff Anderson, Culinary Innovation Lead at McDonald's Canada of the new drinks in a press release.
"Whether you're a long-time cold brew lover or trying it for the first time, we're excited to give our guests a new way to enjoy McCafé coffee."
For me, the perfect cold brew punches me in the face with caffeine and is something that I can gulp down quickly on a hot summer's day or first thing in the morning in order to give myself some energy. I also want it to taste bold but not bitter — the latter of which I associate more with coffee that's been brewed the traditional way — and I want to be able to taste the different notes of the bean.
I visited the three restaurants around the West End of Toronto and ordered all three of the drinks without milk or sweetener in order to taste just the brew itself (and it happens to be how I prefer my drink) and here's what I thought of all of them.
Tim Hortons
Cold brew from Tim Hortons.
"Our Cold Brew is made with 100% Premium Arabica Beans that are steeped cold for 16 hours to create a hand-crafted cold coffee experience," says Tim Hortons of their beverage.
I'm not a huge fan of Tim Hortons' coffee (yes, even their dark roast) so I was pleasantly surprised to find the smell of the cold brew to be delicious. It smelled very deep and like it would get you going in the morning, and while the initial taste of it was nice, things fell apart after that.
My issue with Tims' cold brew is the same issue I have with their coffee: the aftertaste. The cold brew left a burnt, unpleasant flavour in my mouth that I just couldn't deal with and that didn't dissipate after drinking water.
Perhaps it would be better with dairy and sweeteners, but this drink is just not the one for me.
Price for a small: $2.61
McDonald's
Cold brew from McDonald's.
"Made with Arabica beans, the new McCafé Cold Brew offers a different flavour experience than McCafé iced coffee, making it ideal for guests who prefer a stronger and bolder coffee taste for a refreshing start to their morning or an afternoon pick-me-up," says McDoanld's of the new drink.
My first whiff of this drink was delightful: it smelled super bold, as the company described, and also kind of gave me notes of baked goods, which was unexpected but fun.
In terms of taste, it solidly coated the tongue, which is nice since some cold brews can be watery, and it definitely made me feel like I was ready to tackle the afternoon in terms of giving me some energy.
I will say that I found the brew to be a little one-note in terms of flavour — in some other drinks you can get fruity, grassy or nutty notes, but to me, this was just pure coffee flavour (which might be what some people want!).
I like this drink and would order it again if I were at McDonald's (particularly if I was picking up their breakfast burritos, which is one my favourites out of all the fast food wraps out there) but it's not the restaurant I'd stop at if I was just craving a cold brew as I did prefer Starbucks' drink.
That being said, it is significantly cheaper than Starbucks' cold brew (it's more than $2 cheaper!) so if price is a factor, McDonald's is definitely the way to go.
As well as the unsweetened Cold Brew I tried, the new additions to the menu include a French Vanilla Cream Cold Brew, Caramel Cream Cold Brew, Sweetened Cold Brew with Cream, and Cold Brew with Sugar-Free Syrup and Cream.
Price for a small: $2.63
Starbucks
Cold brew from Starbucks.
"Handcrafted in small batches daily, slow-steeped in cool water for 20 hours, without touching heat—Starbucks Cold Brew is made from our custom blend of beans grown to steep long and cold for a super-smooth flavour," says the company of this drink.
Of the three cold brews I tried, Starbucks was my winner of the day. It has all of the boldness and caffeine that I want while also leaving room for the nuances of the coffee itself.
The scent is pleasantly fruity, notes of which are mirrored in the brew itself, and it tasted really bright. It leaves a pleasant aftertaste in the mouth that almost reminds me of chocolate ice cream, and overall, this is the drink I want to gulp down in the afternoon during the dreaded 3 p.m. slump.
However, it does cost almost $5 for this drink, so although I really liked it, I see it more as a once-in-a-while treat rather than something I can enjoy on a daily basis.
Price for a tall: $4.80
In terms of coffee you can pick up at fast food restaurants, I recently compared brews from Tim Hortons, Second Cup, Starbucks, McDonald's and Wendy's to see which drink reigned supreme, and my first place went to a chain I wasn't expecting.
If you're in desperate need of some java and the only place you can stop at is a gas station, I also tested out the different brews you can get at those places and there's only one I'd drink again — but only if I really needed the caffeine!
These prices are confirmed at the time of publishing, but they can change at any time. Taxes and fees may not be included.