Why Does Iced Coffee Cost More Than Normal Coffee?

The economics of cold coffee are in the spotlight this week after a woman sued Starbucks for putting too much ice in her iced coffee cups, thereby giving customers less product. 

There's not a single answer for why iced coffee generally costs more. At those hipster cafes where the coffee is "craft", they are required to cold-brew the coffee, and this process uses more coffee beans; (cold-brew is made by grinding beans coarsely, having them sit in room-temperature water overnight, and then filtering the grinds out to produce cold-brew concentrate.)

But why are our iced coffees still expensive in bigger chain shops?

One explanation is that sweeteners and flavour enhancers tend to be added to iced coffee more often than regular coffee. Iced coffee usually needs a flavour boost, as it’s watered down by the ice.

Another explanation outlined in this article by Fast Company is that the supplies for iced coffee cost more. For example, they require plastic cups as opposed to paper, along with straws; both of these cost more than stand-alone paper cups.

Then there's the "novelty" theory, implying that it's "unusual" and therefore should cost more by default.

Source.