In this article, you’ll learn:
- How to sell cold brew coffee
- Why you should sell cold brew all year round
- How launching limited edition seasonal varieties is an effective method
- The benefits of offering cold brew experiences to customers
- How loyalty schemes can encourage newcomers to try cold brew
- The importance of creative, innovative cold brew marketing methods
Cold brew is only growing more popular as a trendy and less acidic alternative to hot coffee. In fact, since 2019, the number of cold brew drinkers has risen by 79%. Not only is this testament to the drink’s rapid rise, but it’s evidence of the need for foodservice businesses to get in on the growing opportunity.
Therefore, you need innovative and unique methods of how to sell cold brew coffee and promote it to your customers. Whether that encompasses seasonal campaigns, unique flavours, or consumer-friendly formats, the possibilities are endless.
To learn more about the best ways to sell cold brew, I spoke to Ben Kauffman. He is a coffee roaster and co-owner of The Kauffie Company, based in London, United Kingdom. Read on for his tips on how to sell cold brew coffee.
How to sell cold brew coffee throughout the seasons
One of your primary considerations of how to sell cold brew coffee is determining the times of year when it’s most in demand. While about 20% of coffee drinkers enjoy cold coffee all year round, it’s important to know when to promote it the most and how to sell cold brew coffee.
“Use the summer months as your marketing,” Ben advises. “People want cold coffee in the summer – and if you can add a difference to their usual routine in terms of flavour palette, you will give extra excitement.”
This means your cold brew marketing should lean into what makes it different from other types of cold coffee, such as iced lattes. Because it is steeped at a lower temperature for an extended amount of time, cold brew is less acidic and bitter. Since iced coffee is prepared using a shot of hot coffee, it still has acidic flavour notes, whereas cold brew is perceived as smoother and sweeter.
As Ben advises, your cold brew marketing should be particularly strong during the summer, and highlight the drink’s distinct flavour compared to other cold coffee options. You can push this further by offering seasonal varieties as well, such as tropical cold brew infused with citrus fruits. Promoting them as limited-time seasonal products creates a sense of urgency, motivating customers to try them before they disappear.
However, these strategies don’t begin and end with the summer. With cold coffee now a staple beverage among customers, you can launch seasonal promotions throughout the year.
Starbucks’ pumpkin spice cold brew is a prime example of how to sell cold brew coffee. Available in concentrate form from August to October, the product is associated with autumn for customers, driving up demand while it’s available. Over 20% of cold coffee drinkers choose seasonal flavours when they order. As such, ensuring you always have an option, no matter the time of year, helps you tap into these demands.
How to sell cold brew coffee with creative marketing campaigns that work
Alongside changing the actual flavour of your products to facilitate seasonal trends, there’s a lot you can do to promote cold brew.
For Ben, this begins with demystifying the cold brew process. “The best way to sell cold brew is to show people how it’s made,” he says. “In my opinion, if people see the process of how it’s done, it will make them interested in trying.”
There are multiple ways to achieve this. One option is to host taster events or educational classes. You could, for example, run an event where attendees witness the effort that goes into steeping cold brew and learning how long it takes.
If you have dispensing taps at your coffee shop or bar, you could even invite customers to pour their own drinks. It helps to address any questions around cold brew, making the entire process more transparent to customers.
Community engagement doesn’t stop there. Using any footage you capture from these events or classes, you have powerful storytelling tools for social media. At least 77% of businesses use social media to reach customers, and 90% of social media users follow their favourite brands.
By posting educational videos on cold brew’s production and distinctive characteristics, you can educate consumers across a range of touchpoints. Similarly, it’ll also position you as a thought leader within the sector, helping you to foster a positive reputation.
There are plenty of other ways to achieve this. For example, you could run limited-time discounts or extended offers to entice customers to try cold brew for the first time, fostering repeat business. The California-based store Coffee Dose Cafe ran a similar campaign in 2024. It offered 50% off all drinks ordered on its mobile app using a promo code – providing a blueprint for cold brew-specific campaigns.
You could temporarily offer a 50% discount on your cold brew menu, incentivising curious customers to try it for the first time. If they’re impressed by its quality, you can win customers in the long term once the promotion ends.
Just as with a lot of other foodservice businesses, loyalty schemes are a great way of how to sell cold brew coffee. Using a stamp process is proven to encourage repeat customers, with the enticing promise of a free drink once the card is filled up.
You can easily incorporate this in a way that spotlights your cold brew. For example, you could offer a free drink when customers complete 50% of the card, or grant double points for each cold brew drink they buy. Both strategies incentivise customers to try cold brew – either through a free serving or by earning more points with each purchase.
How to sell cold brew coffee in unique formats: RTD, nitro, and take-home kits
Above all, it’s essential that you are creative and distinctive in how to sell cold brew coffee. It should not only stand out from the other drinks on your menu, but competitors that offer cold brew as well. After all, the sector has grown by over 22% between 2023 and 2024, so you need a significant marketing push to stand out.
One way to sell cold brew coffee is by offering a versatile range of cold brew formats. In a coffee shop, for instance, you can sell it via a number of different touchpoints. While cold brew on tap (either in standard or nitro formats) is the obvious choice, you could also sell RTD bottles and cans or concentrates for customers to dilute at home. You can meet a range of consumer needs by being this versatile. Equally, finding out how to sell cold brew coffee in formats that your competitors don’t use helps you to stand out.
Crucially, you need to determine a unique value proposition so you know how to sell cold brew coffee based on those characteristics. You should consider ways to stand out, such as by using colour-coded labels on RTD cans or coffee shop menus to denote flavour notes. You could also offer unique products, such as cold brew floats with ice cream or take-home kits for customers to steep cold brew themselves.
How to sell cold brew coffee using RTD cold brew and seasonal promotions
Alongside in-store offerings like nitro on tap or take-home kits, ready-to-drink (RTD) cold brew is another way of how to sell cold brew coffee.
Whether sold in cans, bottles, or concentrate pouches, RTD products meet demand for convenience and allow you to market cold brew as more than just a café drink. They’re ideal for foodservice businesses that want to extend their reach beyond their shop floor – especially if you work with local retailers or offer delivery.
That said, it’s important to consider how you preserve quality post-production alongside how to sell cold brew coffee. RTD cold brew should be stored in airtight, food-safe containers and kept chilled to avoid oxidation or bacterial growth. Nitrogen flushing and vacuum sealing can help extend shelf life while maintaining freshness. If you’re selling large batches, labelling production dates and using high-barrier packaging is essential to keep the flavour and quality consistent for every customer.
When it comes to promotions, seasonal campaigns are a great tool of how to sell cold brew coffee – but you should think about return on investment, too. If you’re offering discounts or launching limited-time flavours, consider whether the short-term cost is outweighed by the long-term value. For example, you could track how many customers who try a discounted cold brew return to buy another. If a 50% offer gets new customers through the door, your next step should be turning that one-time visit into repeat business.
Above everything else, though, the key to selling cold brew is by treating it as an equal to your hot coffee options. As Ben explains, the more you treat cold brew like an all-purpose staple of your menu, the more effective your marketing will be. After all, if you pour resources into promoting it during the summer months and then take it off the menu, consumers may turn elsewhere.
“We market our cold brew and iced coffee selections as a mainstay, rather than just because it’s hot outside,” he explains. “If you have a lot of customers from North America, they drink cold brew even when the temperature is freezing cold.”
Therefore, deciding how to sell cold brew coffee is an ongoing process that constantly evolves and adapts to market demands. To achieve this, you need equipment that is equally versatile. It should quickly and efficiently produce high-quality cold brew that does your marketing efforts justice.
At Hardtank, we offer a range of cold brew equipment for businesses of all sizes. Our patented recirculation technology greatly reduces the time and effort required to make cold brew. You can therefore focus on selling your cold brew in effective, creative ways while your equipment guarantees a high-quality batch each time.
Want to sell more cold brew, faster? Learn more about Hardtank’s cold brew equipment here or get in touch with the team for a quote.
FAQ
When is the best time of year to promote cold brew?
Despite being a cold drink, cold brew is popular all year round. However, seasonal promotions, including different flavour varieties at different points of the year, are effective in aligning your drinks with trends.
What are the most effective ways to sell cold brew?
First and foremost, you should sell cold brew as a staple of your menu as opposed to a limited-time product. Then, you can consider creative methods such as tasting sessions, social media storytelling, and loyalty schemes.
How can I make my cold brew stand out from competitors?
Choosing an innovative value proposition and sticking to it is essential in how to sell cold brew coffee. For example, you can offer unique products like cold brew floats using ice cream, or experiences like home brewing kits. The more you can stand out from competitors, the easier it is to foster relationships with customers.
