Brew the Coffee Concentrate: First, we need to make our strong coffee base. Place the 60g of ground coffee into a cafetière or your preferred coffee maker. Pour over the 250ml of freshly boiled water, give it a gentle stir to ensure all the grounds are wet, and let it steep for about 4-5 minutes. Plunge the cafetière slowly.

Chill the Coffee: This is the crucial step. Pour the hot coffee concentrate into a heatproof jug or bottle. Let it cool on the counter for about 20-30 minutes before transferring it to the fridge to chill completely. This should take at least an hour, but you can also make it the night before.

Make the Simple Syrup: While the coffee is cooling, you can make the syrup. Combine the 100g of caster sugar and 100ml of water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar has completely dissolved. You don't need to bring it to a boil. Once clear, remove it from the heat, stir in the vanilla extract, and let it cool.

Prepare the Coffee Ice Cubes (Optional but Recommended): For the ultimate iced coffee experience, brew an extra batch of coffee, let it cool, and pour it into an ice cube tray. Freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight. What works best for me is always having a tray of these ready to go in the freezer.

Assemble Your Iced Coffee: Fill two tall glasses generously with your ice cubes (regular or coffee ice cubes). I find a tall, heavy-based glass feels particularly satisfying to drink from.

Combine the Ingredients: Divide the chilled coffee concentrate between the two glasses. You should see it trickle down through the ice. Next, add 1-2 tablespoons of the simple syrup to each glass, depending on how sweet you like it.

Add the Milk: Slowly pour the milk into each glass. If you pour it gently over the back of a spoon, you can create a beautiful layered effect that looks just like it does in a coffee shop. Give it a gentle stir just before drinking.