is occasionally used in darker stouts, resulting in a smoother finish. Nitro cold brew is typically served chilled, as ice would damage the foamy top. History Nitro cold brew was first offered at third wave coffee shops in the early 2010s, but the exact origin is disputed. The process is said by Men's Journal to have originated in 2013 at craft coffee houses Cuvee Coffee in Austin, Texas, and Stumptown in Portland, Oregon. However, Esquire gives credit to the draft coffee at The Queens Kickshaw in New York in 2011 as a predecessor. Cuvee Coffee first offered nitro cold brew, on tap, at the Slow Food Quiz Bowl in Austin, Texas, on August 14, 2011. The Ball Corporation issued a press release citing Cuvee as the first company to can cold brew in their widget cans, and BevNet awarded Cuvee the Best Packaging Innovation, calling them "the first cold brew brand to market a nitrogenated offering". Stumptown and Cuvee began offering canned beverages with a nitrogen disc, a hollow piece of plastic compressed with nitrogen in order to pressurize the can, by 2015. Starbucks introduced the beverage at 500 stores in the summer of 2016, preceded in the Los Angeles market by The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. By 2020, Starbucks offered the beverage at more than half of its locations across the United States, making it a staple menu item. Nitro cold brew is available from wholesalers in some markets in kegs. RISE Brewing Co. says it can fill up to 1,500 kegs a day of nitro cold brew coffee. Further reading References Coffee preparation Coffee Coffee culture