Cold brew and nitro cold brew have taken over Bay Area break rooms and coffee bars alike — but plenty of people still aren't sure what separates the two. Both start from the same base: coffee steeped slowly in cold water. One stays exactly as it is. The other gets a charge of nitrogen that changes everything about how it feels in the glass.
How Cold Brew Is Made
Cold brew starts with coarsely ground coffee steeped in cold or room-temperature water for roughly 12 to 24 hours, then filtered completely. No heat is involved at any stage.
That slow, cool extraction matters. Hot brewing draws out acids and bitter compounds quickly. Without heat, cold brew tends to come out lower in acidity and noticeably smoother, with a subtly sweet, chocolatey flavor. Many people find they need less milk or sugar to enjoy it. It's often brewed as a concentrate and diluted slightly before serving over ice.
Browse our cold brew selection to see what we carry in bottles, cans, and kegs.
What Makes Nitro Cold Brew Different
Nitro cold brew is cold brew infused with nitrogen gas (N2). The same steeped, filtered coffee goes into a keg or pressurized vessel, and nitrogen is pushed in under pressure — typically around 35 to 40 PSI to saturate the liquid, then reduced for serving.
Nitrogen behaves very differently from the CO2 in carbonated drinks. CO2 dissolves readily and creates the sharp, tingly bubbles you feel in soda or sparkling water. Nitrogen molecules are larger and far less soluble; they form extremely fine, stable microbubbles instead.
When you pour nitro through a stout-style tap with a restrictor plate, those microbubbles cascade upward through the glass — the same rolling visual effect you see in a well-poured pint of Guinness. Within about a minute they settle into a dense, creamy head.
Side by Side: Taste, Texture, and Appearance
Texture is the most noticeable difference. Regular cold brew pours clean and liquid, just like iced coffee. Nitro cold brew has a thick, velvety mouthfeel — closer to a milky coffee than a black one, even though no dairy is added. People consistently describe nitro as tasting sweeter, because the nitrogen appears to soften the perception of bitterness and bring forward the coffee's natural sweetness.
Caffeine content is the same for both — nitrogen doesn't affect it. On appearance, cold brew over ice looks like iced coffee; nitro in a glass is darker and denser, with a foamy top that resembles a dark stout more than a coffee drink.
Getting Either On Tap at Home or the Office
Both cold brew and nitro can be served on draft from a keg. Cold brew pours cleanly under CO2 or nitrogen pressure from a standard faucet. A true nitro setup uses a dedicated nitrogen tank and a stout-style restrictor-plate faucet — the same type of draft equipment used for nitrogen-conditioned beers like stouts.
A five-gallon keg of cold brew typically yields around 40 to 50 twelve-ounce servings — enough to keep a small team going for a week or two. If you're also thinking about kombucha on tap, the keg setup is essentially the same. Both are popular choices for SF offices looking to go beyond the single-serve pod machine.
Mike's has been supplying San Francisco homes and businesses since 1959. We deliver to SF — same-day for orders placed by 9 AM, with current fees and minimums on our delivery page. Browse our full keg selection, or stop by the store on Mission Street in the Excelsior and we'll talk you through what works for your space.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does nitro cold brew have more caffeine than regular cold brew?
No. Nitrogen infusion doesn't affect caffeine content at all. Both drinks use the same cold brew base, so the caffeine level is identical. Cold brew is often more concentrated than drip coffee depending on the brew ratio, but that has nothing to do with the nitrogen.
Why is nitro cold brew served without ice?
Two reasons: texture and the cascade. Ice melts and thins out the creamy, nitrogen-created mouthfeel. It also disrupts the visual cascade you see as the drink settles in the glass. Nitro is kept cold in the keg and poured straight into a clean glass.
Can I order cold brew or nitro on tap for my office or home?
Yes. Mike's carries cold brew kegs and can advise on kegerator equipment for your space. We deliver to San Francisco — same-day for orders placed by 9 AM; current fees and minimums are on our delivery page. Give us a call or stop by the store on Mission Street to get set up.