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I've seen a lot of cold "draft" coffee appearing that is infused or pressurized with nitrogen gas (as with Guinness beer). The added nitrogen leads to a "smooth, creamy" mouthfeel. (Although it seems to dissipate very quickly – over a matter of minutes.)

I've never seen carbonated draft or bottled coffee – i.e., coffee infused or pressurized with carbon dioxide. Dissolved carbon dioxide occurs naturally in sparkling spring water and fermentation, and is the gas added to most "sparkling" beverages. Is there a reason cold "sparkling coffee" is not an item?

Lysander
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  • Actually, there are coffee biers around the world. For sure, they are not literally coffee but they are somehow carbonated coffees with a very strong bier aroma. So, you can make a guess of its taste for yourself by trying one of them. – MTSan Jan 03 '21 at 11:42
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    Coffee beers are beers first and foremost. They are produced in two distinct ways. First, in the most obvious way, ready made coffee brew is simply added to beer (when the beer is done and cold). Second, the beer is brewed with deeply roasted grains that impart a slight taste resembling coffee during fermentation. No coffee is used in the second process. During beer production, beer flavors dominate the beverage's flavor (because it's a beer), and carbonation is expected either by dissolving CO2 or naturally as a product of the fermentation. – R Mac Jan 03 '21 at 20:23

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Carbon dioxide when mixed with water renders the water slightly acidic and changes the flavor of the beverage. It may also react with molecules in the coffee. Nitrogen is inert and will neither lower the pH of the coffee or the topping nor react with the coffee's compounds in other ways.

R Mac
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