Dunkin' Is Giving Away Free Cold Brew Coffee This Week: How to Get It

Dunkin' Donuts is giving away free cold brew coffee on Thursday, April 20 for those prepared to cash in. The fast food chain announced this offer for customers who use the Dunkin Rewards mobile app which is available for free on iOS and Android devices. The free cold brew comes with any purchase made through the app.

Dunkin' has declared Thursday to be National Cold Brew Day, and it is pulling out all the stops. The promotion includes "any cold brew build," meaning that it applies to the chain's Cold Foam drink, Caramel Chocolate Cold Brew and so on. Customers can add flavor shots, swirls and any milk on the menu. There are some restrictions – the promotion does not apply to Nitro Cold Brew, and it is only good for a medium-sized drink. Still, for daily coffee drinkers this will be a welcome treat near the end of the week.

National Cold Brew Day joined the growing list of obscure occasions in 2015, according to WhatNationalDayIsIt.com. However, by all accounts this "holiday" is just a chance for vendors like Dunkin' to make a big promotion and catch the attention of customers. When it leads to a great deal like this one, it's hard to complain.

Cold brew coffee has come into fashion recently, but it has a long history in Japan and some other countries. Typically it refers to coffee that has been brewed by steeping coarse-ground coffee in water at cool temperatures for long periods of time – usually in a refrigerator from 12 to 24 hours. The coffee must then be filter to remove the grounds, but the result is worth the effort.

Because cold brew coffee is not exposed to heat, it has a lower acid concentration – though the pH is generally similar. However, cold brew tends to have a higher caffeine content than typical hot-brewed coffee. That, combined with the ease of drinking it on the go, make it a popular takeout order these days.

Dunkin' was relatively late to the cold brew game in the U.S., where many smaller franchises already offered it as well as Starbucks. These days, even fast food chains that don't specialize in breakfast often carry cold brew, including McDonald's. Some other restaurants have announced promotions for Thursday as well. At Dunkin', customers will need the Dunkin' Rewards app to claim one free medium cold brew with any other purchase.