Is Europe warming up to iced coffee?

Iced coffee sales surge in hot coffee-loving Europe, rising temperatures help drive demand

A passerby wearing a black padded jacket holds two cups of iced coffee. (Yonhap)

Iced coffee, an everyday favorite in South Korea, is catching on across Europe as demand for cold coffee drinks rises in countries known for their hot coffee culture, data shows.

According to Luxembourg-based market research firm Fyre, iced coffee sales in the food service sector rose by double digits in the UK, the Netherlands, France and Germany from February to August compared with the same period last year.

The Netherlands saw the largest increase at 44 percent, followed by the UK at 39 percent, France at 20 percent and Germany at 19 percent.

In the UK, major coffee chains are helping drive the trend by introducing new iced coffee drinks made with a variety of ingredients.

Caffe Nero, which operates around 600 stores across the UK, launched its Iced Vanilla Protein Latte last month, containing 25 grams of protein. Starbucks UK also introduced Protein Cold Foam, made with whey protein, in April.

Rising temperatures have also been cited as a factor driving demand for iced coffee.

Europe has been warming at a rate of about 0.56 degrees Celsius per decade over the past 30 years, roughly twice the global average, according to the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service.

The continent's average annual temperature reached 10.41 degrees in 2025, the third-highest on record and 1.17 degrees above the 1991-2020 average.

The trend may be relatively new in Europe, but iced coffee has long been a year-round staple in South Korea, even during the coldest winter months.

The habit is so widespread that Koreans have coined the term "eoljukah," a portmanteau of the words for "Even if I freeze to death, iced Americano!" It refers to die-hard iced Americano drinkers who stick to their favorite coffee no matter how cold it gets.

An analysis of some 400 million coffee orders placed at more than 4,000 Mega MGC Coffee outlets last year found that six out of every 10 coffees sold during the coldest winter months were iced.

"I think Korea's fast-paced culture is one reason iced coffee is so popular. For office workers with short lunch breaks, iced Americanos are a convenient choice when they have to squeeze in both a meal and a coffee," said Cho Seung-hyun, an office worker in Seoul.