Ingredients
Coffee base
- 30 gcoarsely ground coffee, medium roast
- 300 mlcold water for cold brew, or 200 ml hot water for a strong plunger brew
- 1 tspinstant coffee granules, for the slightly malty commercial note
Milk and sweetening
- 700 mlfull-cream milk, very cold
- 80 mlsweetened condensed milk
- 40 gcaster sugar, or to taste
- ¼ tspvanilla extract
- 1 pinchfine salt
To serve
- very cold, straight from the carton or over a little ice
- a vanilla slice or an iced finger bun alongside, in the South Australian manner
Directions
- Steep the ground coffee in the cold water in a jar in the fridge for 12 hours, then strain it through a paper filter, or brew a strong plunger coffee with the hot water and cool it completely.
- Stir the instant coffee granules into the warm or freshly strained brew until dissolved; this sounds like heresy but it is what gives the slightly malty, rounded flavour of the carton version rather than a sharp cafe cold brew.
- Whisk the condensed milk, sugar, vanilla and salt into the coffee concentrate while it is still slightly warm, so everything dissolves completely rather than settling out later.
- Cool the sweetened concentrate to fridge temperature before it meets the milk; warm coffee poured into cold milk gives a thin, separated drink.
- Whisk in the cold full-cream milk in three additions, so it emulsifies smoothly and no lumps of condensed milk survive.
- Taste and adjust. It should be noticeably sweet and milk-forward, with the coffee sitting underneath rather than dominating, and it should be thicker on the tongue than plain milk.
- Chill at least 4 hours, ideally overnight, so the flavours marry and it reaches proper drinking temperature of about 4°C (40°F).
- Shake hard and pour into a tall glass or drink it straight from a cold bottle. Do not add ice cubes unless you accept the dilution; the carton original is served cold, not iced.
Technique
- Farmers Union Iced Coffee is a commercial flavoured milk made in South Australia since 1977, and it famously outsells Coca-Cola in that state, which is the only place in the world where an iced coffee brand beats cola.
- It is a milk drink first and a coffee second. The dairy is the body of it, so full-cream milk is not negotiable and skim gives a thin, disappointing result.
- Condensed milk rather than plain sugar syrup is the key to the texture; it adds milk solids as well as sweetness and thickens the mouthfeel.
- Serve it properly cold, around 4°C (40°F). Warm, the sweetness becomes cloying and the coffee turns bitter.
Substitutions
- No condensed milk: use 60 g caster sugar plus 2 tbsp milk powder whisked into the warm coffee, which mimics the added milk solids.
- Decaf works fine and is closer than you would expect, since the drink is not built on coffee intensity.
- Oat milk with a spoon of oat cream makes a passable dairy-free version, though it is sweeter again.
Variations
- The double-shot version has roughly twice the coffee and is the one South Australians drink to wake up.
- An iced coffee spider floats a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top, which is a milk bar classic.
- A chocolate iced coffee stirs in 2 tbsp of cocoa syrup, close to the mocha carton in the same range.
History
Made in Adelaide since 1977, it is the rare local product that outsells Coca-Cola in its home state.
Frequently asked questions
What is Farmers Union Iced Coffee?
Farmers Union Iced Coffee is a drink from Australia: sweet chilled milk coffee sold in cartons; South Australia’s default drink. Made in Adelaide since 1977, it is the rare local product that outsells Coca-Cola in its home state.
How long does Farmers Union Iced Coffee take to make?
Farmers Union Iced Coffee takes 10 min of preparation and 4 hr chilling of cooking. The recipe makes 1 litre, 4 glasses. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Farmers Union Iced Coffee?
Yes, within limits. No condensed milk: use 60 g caster sugar plus 2 tbsp milk powder whisked into the warm coffee, which mimics the added milk solids. Decaf works fine and is closer than you would expect, since the drink is not built on coffee intensity. Oat milk with a spoon of oat cream makes a passable dairy-free version, though it is sweeter again.
What is the most important thing to get right in Farmers Union Iced Coffee?
Stir the instant coffee granules into the warm or freshly strained brew until dissolved; this sounds like heresy but it is what gives the slightly malty, rounded flavour of the carton version rather than a sharp cafe cold brew.
