What Is New Orleans-Style Coffee? A Guide (Plus How to Brew It)

What Is New Orleans-Style Coffee?

New Orleans-style coffee is a blend of dark-roasted coffee and roasted chicory root. The chicory came with the French: during shortages it stretched scarce coffee further, and New Orleans never let it go. Chicory adds a chocolatey, roasted depth and a slightly thicker body — which is why the style survived long after the shortages did, usually served as café au lait with a plate of beignets.

Is New Orleans coffee the same as chicory coffee?

Mostly, yes. “Chicory coffee” is any coffee cut with roasted chicory; “New Orleans-style” usually means the full tradition — dark roast, chicory, and milk, often served over ice as cold brew. No chicory, no NOLA.

What does it taste like?

Dark chocolate, toasted nuts, a little caramelised bitterness from the chicory, and a heavier mouthfeel than straight coffee. Made as cold brew with milk and a touch of sweetness, it drinks closer to dessert than filter coffee.

How to make New Orleans-style cold brew at home

You need coarsely ground coffee, roasted chicory root (available online or from health-food shops), and a fridge.

• Mix 80g coarsely ground coffee with 20g roasted chicory (a 4:1 ratio).
• Add 600ml cold water and stir until fully saturated.
• Steep in the fridge for 18–24 hours — the longer, the stronger.
• Strain. You now have a concentrate.
• Serve over ice, cut roughly 50/50 with milk, with a spoon of maple syrup. Drinking it black? Dilute with water instead — the concentrate is espresso-strength.

The coffee matters more than the chicory. A washed Guatemalan with chocolate and plum character stands up to chicory without disappearing behind it. Our Finca Filadelfia is the one we’d reach for — Bourbon and Caturra from our family’s farm in Antigua, roasted medium in London.

Can you make it hot?

Yes — brew the same 4:1 blend in a cafétière or filter, then add hot milk. That’s the classic café au lait the style was built on.

Rascal roasts single-origin Guatemalan coffee from our own family farm, every Tuesday in London. Shop the coffee.