How coffee shops should package cold brew coffee
There are myriad ways for coffee companies to brew, serve, and package cold brew coffee, but some are more efficient, sustainable, and customisable than others.
As the RTD coffee segment continues to grow, more coffee shops are opting to sell canned cold brew in-store, either instead of or alongside traditional takeaway options.
Coffee businesses must clearly understand their options as they seek to capitalise on the new demand for convenient cold brews and expand their offerings accordingly.
Sleek and slimline aluminium cans, flexible cold brew pouches, and bag-in-boxes are environmentally friendly ways to package cold brew safely and responsibly.
We spoke to Victor Nazar Navarro and Nakita Reid, founders of Nativo Coffee Roasters, to learn more about how coffee shops approach cold brew, packaging, and new consumer trends.
Key factors behind cold brew’s positive performance
Cold brew coffee is one of the fastest-growing segments in food and beverage – Fed Up Foods deemed 2024 the Year of Cold Brew.
According to its insights study, the cold brew segment is expected to exceed $5.4 billion by 2032. Key reasons for this performance include ease of preparation, its gentler impact on the digestive system, naturally higher caffeine content, and multi-serve friendliness.
“For millennials, coffee is more than a product – it’s an experience,” the report states.
“They’re willing to spend more on it and see it as an affordable luxury. Millennials also value convenience. Grabbing a bottle of cold brew from a fridge or ordering a takeaway nitro cold brew is a quick and convenient way for them to experience specialty coffee.”
“Millennials could also be choosing cold brew for environmental reasons. This demographic is more educated and knowledgeable than before, and they value ethical spending. They also are interested in brands that offer sustainability and eco-friendly products.”
Nativo has witnessed the same performance levels from cold brew.
“Yes, cold brew coffee has become increasingly popular in recent years, and this trend is expected to continue growing,” says Victor and Nakita.
“Consumers, particularly younger demographics like Millennials and Gen Z, appreciate cold brew for its smooth, less acidic flavour, and modern appeal.”
Indeed, as appreciation and demand for higher quality and specialty coffee products have grown, so has customer awareness around environmental and sustainability issues.
The coffee world has responded quickly, detailing its sourcing practices, highlighting the provenance of the beans it roasts, choosing to package cold brew and other coffee products with eco-friendly materials, and offering the end-user greater transparency throughout the entire supply chain.
How should your company package cold brew coffee?
Your business channels – e.g., in-store retail, direct-to-consumer retail, or wholesale supply – will dictate how you package cold brew to some extent. If you are considering an RTD beverage line, you have various options.
However, before deciding on a packaging format, it’s key to nail the overall brand, design, and aesthetics. Your coffee shop, roastery, or other coffee business needs to feel authentic.
As a coffee shop, Nativo has invested thought and care into its brand story to better connect with customers. We asked if a great aesthetic is crucial to success.
“Yes, absolutely!” they say.
“The atmosphere of a coffee shop plays a significant role in shaping customer experiences and building a loyal clientele. At Nativo, our culture, which is a mix of Caribbean and Latin, plays a major role in our aesthetics and flavours.”
Once a compelling brand story and aesthetic are established, your packaging approach can flow more naturally. Shoppers increasingly prefer sustainable and environmentally friendly materials – 86% say they are more likely to choose a product packaged sustainably.
“At Nativo, we prefer compostable packaging,” Victor and Nakita add.
“Our main reason for this decision is that compostable products specifically perform better than biodegradable products. They are tested to break down within a specific time frame and not release harmful materials into the environment.”
Flexible cold brew pouches or bag-in-box packaging solutions are optimal for packaging cold brews with compostable materials. Unlike aluminium cans, these formats are entirely compostable.
Bag-in-box packaging is ideal for multi-serve needs: its sizes range from smaller 3-litre boxes up to hundred-serving, 20-litre boxes. Kraft paper and corrugated cardboard form the outer box, and the internal bag is created from a mixture of LDPE and PLA plastics – both compostable. The user needs only to separate the two materials and recycle accordingly.
Flexible cold brew pouches are a better fit for packaging cold brew for single-serve needs. They can be prepared in 187 ml or 350 ml sizes, perfect for convenient, on-the-go consumption without a single-use plastic impact.
Cold brew pouches can be manufactured for volumes up to 1.5 litres, perfect for serving personal home consumption or small social gatherings. Once consumed, they collapse on themselves, saving space in the recycling bin: they’re also made from the same compostable plastics as bag-in-box solutions.
Bag-in-boxes and cold brew pouches are highly designable and customisable. Their large flat panels help make brand messaging stand out on the shelf, offering a larger canvas than round aluminium cans or glass bottles.
As far as sustainable packaging goes, custom aluminium cans remain a solid choice for coffee shops looking to package cold brew for RTD channels. Aluminium is widely recycled, customers are familiar with the format, and they can be customised to fit the brand’s aesthetic.
Bag-in-box packaging, flexible cold brew pouches, and aluminium cans are all environmentally friendly, sustainable ways for coffee shops to package cold brew. When planning your own line of RTD coffee, considering all three options is a worthy exercise.
At Cold Brew Pak, we offer immensely customisable services for all three formats. Visit our website or get in touch with us directly to learn more.
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