American coffee chain Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf has recently launched a refreshed brand campaign to mark its 63-year presence in Los Angeles. The new menu, available through June 3, 2025, includes an interesting lineup of new cold coffees known as dry iced americanos.
As an iced americano lover, this new menu addition immediately captured my attention. I spoke with Jay Isais, Vice President of Coffee & Sourcing at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (CBTL) to learn more about this trending coffee. Here’s what he shared about the new dry iced americano drinks on the menu.
What is a dry iced americano?
“Unlike a standard iced americano, which is made by blending espresso with water, a “dry” Americano doesn’t have any water added. Instead, it consists solely of pure fresh espresso shots poured over ice. This results in a more concentrated and robust coffee flavor. When paired with vanilla or hazelnut, with or without milk, the ‘dry’ americano achieves a perfect balance, combining the rich coffee notes with the subtle sweetness,” says Isais.
Isais also shared that today’s consumers seek a pure espresso shot’s bolder strength and texture. The creation of the Dry Iced Americano offers a more concentrated espresso profile than a traditional iced Americano. Recent coffee trends include “Bolder flavors, innovative flavor combinations influenced by mixologists, increased focus on colors and textures. The coffee space is so exciting, with such creativity and passion. [The] dry iced americano offers a fresh new twist on a traditional favorite, paired with some classic flavors.”
Dry iced americano flavors
The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf’s new dry iced americano is offered in three unique flavors: Vanilla, Brown Sugar, and Horchata. According to Isais, these flavors were chosen due to their perfect, natural pairing with the flavors of each coffee drink. “Vanilla is a classic complementary flavor for coffee and is a natural pairing choice for many of our drink options, both hot and cold. Brown sugar complements and accentuates the caramelized sugar notes of the LA Espresso and Horchata, perennial fan favorites in Southern California and which we have incorporated into several beverages over the years,” he says.
When ordering a dry iced americano at Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, guests can expect to receive a drink poured over pebble ice. Isais shares that the brand has chosen to use smaller pebble ice in its cafes, allowing a better balance in the tasting experience. Additionally, using pebble ice creates a superior texture of use in the shop’s other iced blended beverages.
Selecting the right type of espresso
Using the correct type of espresso also helps enhance the dry iced americano, making it stand out compared to other espresso-based beverages.
“Our signature LA Espresso was designed using a layered blend philosophy of roasting each coffee individually at different degrees and then combining them. This allows us to simultaneously capture brightness, earthiness, fruit, and deep caramelization. This complex layering allows our LA Espresso Blend to serve as the perfect base across our entire line of espresso-based beverages,” he says.
CBTL only plans to feature dry iced americano for a limited time. However, they’ve mentioned that they hope this latest iteration appeals to both their existing fan base of our espresso platform and entices new customers to take the “dry iced americano plunge.”
