This week’s hot weather has me thinking about cold drinks. I’ll post a recipe each day, starting — naturally — with coffee.

This is so much better than most iced coffee that it is worth the little bit of effort it requires.

The secret is cold brewing. No French press, no drip coffeemaker, no old-fashioned percolator — and no heat required. Simply combine 1/3 cup of coarsely ground coffee and 1 1/2 cups of water in a jar. The better the coffee, the better the results. I buy whole beans and grind them fresh. Also, I double the recipe and use a 1-quart canning jar.

Stir the mixture (a chopstick works perfectly), cover the jar and let sit at least 12 hours, then strain twice to get rid of the grounds.

To strain the brewed coffee, I place a large fine mesh strainer over a 2-quart measuring cup and place a coffee filter in the strainer. Then I hold a smaller strainer over the large strainer. I pour the coffee into the small strainer, which catches most of the grounds. The coffee filter in the large strainer captures the rest. Then I pour the resulting coffee concentrate into a clean jar and refrigerate. A double recipe usually lasts me four days.

The original recipe, which was printed last summer in the New York Times, suggests mixing equal parts of coffee and water and serving over ice. I like strong coffee, so I use 2 ounces of water and 4 ounces of coffee, over ice in a tall glass. Add milk and sugar if you like. At the end of the day, a splash of Kahlua or Godiva liqueur would be nice.

You also can use this method for hot coffee. Combine the concentrate and water in a mug, and zap until warm.

(Photo illustration by Teak Phillips/Post-Dispatch)