Grind the coffee beans on a course setting; the particles should be gritty and easy to distinguish. Add the ground coffee and ground chicory root to a large stockpot. Pour 2 quarts of water into the stockpot and stir the coffee to fully saturate. Cover the pot and steep at room temperature for 12 hours. After steeping, strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer. Add 4 Tbsp. of simple syrup to the coffee concentrate and stir to incorporate. Store the concentrate in a sealable container in the fridge for use within one week.
To serve: Combine equal amounts of the sweetened coffee concentrate and your preferred milk or nondairy alternative in a glass over ice.
