On Saturday, I was stumbling around a gray Brooklyn, running around conducting errands. Just my luck, the skies decided to open up right as I exited the subway in Ft. Greene/Clinton Hill.

Mind you, I have about 20 umbrellas at home (just a rough count). Naturally, I didn’t bring one with me.

Sigh.

I decided I needed to feed my sweet tooth with chocolate, and luckily, I was across the street from Greene Grape, a well-known specialty grocer. I ducked into the shop for an impromptu mood-lifter and as I perused the shelves, came across this bottle of Grady’s Cold Brew, a “coffee concentrate.” Look at how pretty!

Woefully under-caffeinated and wet, with a shift at the bar an hour away, I bought a bottle and went back into the rain.

At the bar, I divested myself of my wet coat and popped open the brew.

Made in Brooklyn, Grady’s is a New Orleans-style cold-brew concentrate. For the un-initiated, that’s a rich, smooth potion of straight-up coffee jolt minus the bitterness and, in this case, the addition of chicory in true Big Easy fashion. Undiluted, it’s a potent sip; the bottle calls for a simple ratio of 1-to-1 coffee to milk or water, yielding a few mugs per bottle. I opted for something easy and whipped up a sparkling coffee, complete with a shot of cream rum for, y’know, personality.

I wasn’t mad about it.

Sparkling Iced Grady’s

2oz Grady’s Cold Brew Concentrate
1-2 brown sugar cubes
3oz Sparkling Water/Soda
1oz El Dorado Cream Rum Liqueur

Pour coffee concentrate over sugar cubes and give a rough muddle. Top with ice and sparkling water. Stir, then float rum on top. For everyday sipping (y’know, if you commute to work and stuff), just omit the booze.