Quick answer: which Massachusetts roasters make cold brew?
Eleven of the 20 Massachusetts roasters we list sell cold brew in some form. Atomic, Red Barn and Speedwell sell it in cans, Mike Shea's pours nitro cold brew on tap and fills growlers, and George Howell, Fazenda, Acoustic Java, Speedwell and Indigo sell a coffee blended for making cold brew at home.
| Roaster | Town | Cold brew it sells |
|---|---|---|
| Atomic | Peabody | Its own canned cold brew, including a decaf cold brew |
| Red Barn | Upton | Black nitro cold brew in cans |
| Speedwell | Plymouth | Nitro cold brew in cans, and a Cold Brew blend |
| Mike Shea's | Bridgewater | House-made nitro cold brew on tap, with refillable 64 oz growlers |
| Indigo | Northampton | Organic Fair Trade nitro cold brew, and an Iced Coffee and Cold Brew Blend |
| Three Fins | West Dennis | Endless Summer cold brew, and cold brew kegs for Cape businesses |
| George Howell | Acton | Cold Brew Blend |
| Fazenda | Dedham | Cold Brew Blend |
| Acoustic Java | Worcester | Cold Brew Blend |
| Equal Exchange | West Bridgewater | Organic Cold Brew |
| Armeno | Northborough | Cold brew at the retail shop in its old mill |
Product names are as each roaster lists them on its own pages, checked on September 27, 2026. Seasonal items come and go, so check before you order.
Why cold brew sells in a Massachusetts summer
Wikipedia describes Massachusetts summers as hot and humid, with July highs above 80 °F and overnight lows above 60 °F common across the state. Boston averages about 29 days a year at or above 86 °F. Those are the weeks when a cold coffee earns its place in the fridge.
Cold brew is not the same drink as iced coffee. The National Coffee Association draws the line this way: iced coffee is brewed hot and then cooled, while cold brew is made with room temperature or cooler water and can be served hot or over ice. Four of the roasters above, Red Barn, Speedwell, Mike Shea's and Indigo, sell nitro cold brew.
How to make cold brew at home
The NCA's cold brew guide gives a simple starting recipe.
| Step | The NCA's figure |
|---|---|
| Ratio | 1 gram of coffee to 4 to 5 grams of water, a concentrate |
| Grind | Coarse, like rock salt |
| Water | Room temperature or cooler |
| Steep | About 12 hours, often overnight; some recipes run 12 to 18 hours or more |
- Weigh the coffee and grind it coarse. Use a cold brew blend from one of the roasters above, or a coffee you already like.
- Stir it into cold or room temperature water at 1 to 4 or 1 to 5 by weight.
- Cover it and leave it about 12 hours.
- Strain out the grounds, and dilute the concentrate to taste with water, milk or ice.
Cold brew skips the kettle, but it still starts with your tap. Our guide to Massachusetts tap water for coffee covers what your utility reports. For other brewers, see coffee brewing methods compared.
A Massachusetts cold brew experiment
Atomic has brewed and canned its own cold brew for years, and in 2026 it released a one-run cold brew called POTENTIAL. It was made with the coffee scientist Christopher Hendon and his company Overpotential, whose in-line electrochemical step is meant to lift fruit and sweetness. Atomic says it was the first coffee made with that technology. Atomic roasts in Peabody, and says all of its online orders ship from the roastery there.
Atomic also cans a decaf cold brew, the only decaf cold brew among the roasters on our list, going by their own pages. For the decaf coffees each roaster sells, see the decaf plan page.
Where to get it by region
- North Shore: Atomic roasts in Peabody and ships its online orders from there. See the Salem and North Shore page.
- South Shore: Mike Shea's growlers in Bridgewater and Speedwell's cans from Plymouth. See Plymouth and the South Shore.
- Central: Red Barn's nitro cans from Upton, Acoustic Java's blend in Worcester and cold brew at Armeno's mill shop in Northborough.
- West: Indigo's nitro cold brew and cold brew blend from Northampton.
- Cape Cod: Three Fins' Endless Summer in West Dennis, and its kegs at Cape businesses.
Cold brew, brewed from local beans
Buying cold brew or a cold brew blend from a roaster here keeps the money with a roaster in Peabody, Plymouth or West Dennis instead of sending it out of state. More on why that matters in why local roasters matter.
A listing does not mean a roaster is part of the club. If you brew your own, Bay State Coffee Club sends a 12 oz bag from a different independent Massachusetts roaster in each box, every 2 or 4 weeks, whole bean or ground. It is $16.99 a bag, the first bag is free and you pay $7.99 shipping on that first box. Skip or cancel anytime.
Cold brew questions
What is the ratio for cold brew coffee?
The NCA suggests 1 gram of coffee to 4 to 5 grams of water, which makes a concentrate you dilute to taste.
How long should cold brew steep?
About 12 hours by the NCA's guide, often overnight. Some recipes steep 12 to 18 hours or more.
Is cold brew the same as iced coffee?
No. Iced coffee is brewed hot and then cooled. Cold brew is made with room temperature or cooler water and can be served hot or over ice.
Which Massachusetts roasters sell canned cold brew?
Among the roasters we list, Atomic in Peabody sells canned cold brew, including a decaf, and Red Barn in Upton and Speedwell in Plymouth sell nitro cold brew in cans.
Sources
- National Coffee Association, Cold brew coffee (definition; ratio; grind; water; steep time; cold brew versus iced coffee)
- Wikipedia, Climate of Massachusetts (hot, humid summers; July highs and overnight lows)
- Wikipedia, Boston (about 29 days a year at or above 86 °F)
- Every roaster's cold brew products, Atomic's POTENTIAL and its Peabody roasting: our roaster profiles, written from each roaster's own pages and checked 2026-09-27.
By Joe McRose, Bay State Coffee Club. Updated . Cold brew method from the National Coffee Association; Boston and Massachusetts summer figures from Wikipedia; each roaster's cold brew from our roaster profiles, checked 2026-09-27.