Before I elaborate, allow me to set the scene. It’s mid-December, the clock on my microwave reads 6:15 a.m., and it has just reached the low of winter where I can see the white frost on the roof of my neighbor’s house. My dad walks into the kitchen, the sound of jingling keys following close behind. He grabs his wallet from the counter and asks me what I want from Starbucks as he exits. My answer is quick, almost automatic: an iced caramel macchiato (I know its a questionable choice but it’s not the point of this story). I hear my Dad’s tennis shoes stop mid-step as he whirls around and pokes his head into the kitchen.
“An iced coffee?” he asks, his face crinkling up in disgust.
Yes. Yes, Dad, an iced coffee.
Although this scene may be exaggerated a tad, this is the response many people give in reaction to someone ordering iced coffee in the dead of winter. However, even though holding an iced coffee in the winter may freeze your hands, iced coffee is good all year round, even in the winter. Here are some reasons why it is perfectly OK to drink iced coffee in the winter:
The flavor is better
In iced coffee, the flavor is more prominent than its hot counterpart, especially when you aren’t worried that you are going to burn your tongue. In fact, the chill of the coffee actually allows you to get the most out of your beverage flavor-wise. Iced coffee also tastes good in a multitude of seasonal flavors, from icy peppermint to warm cinnamon dulce. Hot coffee in general is too much of an antithesis to winter, and the heat of coffee burns your mouth instead of comforting it.
When the weather outside matches the temperature of your coffee, people are less likely to ask for drinks
This rule generally applies to pre- and post-COVID-19 times, but is true even when talking about your siblings stealing your iced beverage now that we are all at home. Since the general opinion of the public toward iced coffee in the winter is concerning, it decreases the chances of your favorite beverage getting drunk by your friends and siblings, meaning more for you!
It gives you more of an excuse to bundle up in the winter
This is, to many, one of the more convincing reasons to turn to iced coffee this winter — it gives you more of a reason to wrap yourself in a blanket and settle down with a seasonal movie. The chill of the coffee can easily be mitigated by the warmth of the fire or a cozy blanket, so you get the best of both worlds this season.
After five years of being an avid iced coffee drinker, I will not be shamed for drinking iced coffee in the winter, and I encourage you to try it this winter season!
