Cold Brew for the Road: A Small Send-Off from Tracer Coffee

Some guests slowly become part of your day without you even realizing it.

For the past month, we had the chance to get to know three members of the Coast Guard who were staying at Live Oak while training at the Charleston base. They live in California, but for a few weeks, Charleston became part of their routine, and so did Tracer.

Every morning brought a quick hello, a cup of coffee, a little conversation, and the kind of small everyday moments that make a place feel familiar. Nothing over the top. Just simple, honest interactions that slowly turn into something meaningful.

So when it was time for them to head to their next duty station, we wanted to send them off with something they could actually use.

Because with the kind of work they do, we knew the gift had to be easy. No special setup. No complicated brewing method. No grinder. No extra equipment.

Just good coffee they could make wherever they landed next.

So we gave them cold brew.

Each Tracer cold brew pack includes 3 individual cold brew filter bags. Each bag is already filled with 85 grams of coffee, ground specifically for cold brew. The filter bag works as the strainer, so all they have to do is place it in water, let it steep, remove the bag, and enjoy.

Simple, clean, and made to travel.

How to Make Tracer Cold Brew

Cold brew is one of the easiest ways to enjoy coffee. It is smooth, refreshing, and naturally less bitter because it brews slowly with cold water instead of hot water.

It is perfect for busy mornings, long workdays, road trips, or starting over in a new place with a familiar cup of coffee.

What you need

• 1 Tracer cold brew filter bag

• 850 ml of filtered water

• A jar, pitcher, or container with a lid

• 12 to 18 hours

  
  

Step 1: Place the filter bag in your container

Take one cold brew filter bag and place it directly into your jar or pitcher. Each bag already contains 85 grams of coffee, ground and portioned for cold brew.

Step 2: Add water

Pour in 850 ml of filtered water.

This creates a ready-to-drink cold brew using a 1:10 coffee-to-water ratio.

Step 3: Make sure the coffee is fully soaked

Gently press or move the filter bag around so the coffee inside gets fully saturated with water.

Step 4: Let it steep

Cover your container and let it steep for 12 to 18 hours, either in the fridge or at room temperature.

For a lighter, cleaner cold brew, steep closer to 12 hours.

For a richer, bolder cold brew, let it steep closer to 18 hours.

Step 5: Remove the bag and enjoy

Lift the filter bag out, let it drain for a few seconds, and your cold brew is ready.

Pour it over ice and enjoy it black, or add milk, cream, or your favorite sweetener.

More Than a Bag of Coffee

For us, this was not just a goodbye gift.

It was a small thank-you.

Thank you for making Tracer part of your mornings. Thank you for the conversations. Thank you for your service. And thank you for letting us be a small part of your time in Charleston.

That is one of our favorite things about coffee. It travels with people. It becomes part of their routines, their mornings, their workdays, and sometimes even their memories of a place.

One month, it is brewed in Charleston.

The next, it is being enjoyed at a new duty station across the country.

To our Coast Guard friends, we hope this cold brew makes your next stop feel a little more familiar.

And wherever you brew it next, we hope it reminds you of your mornings at Live Oak.