The name comes from the German word “kapuziner” and describes the color of the drink as being similar to that of the color of the robes monks from the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin wore. Cappuccinoīelieve it or not, cappuccino likely predated espresso and originated as a similar but different drink. They all can sometimes taste essentially the same depending on the store. Some places offer a Gibraltar which is a 1:1 mix of milk and espresso. Cortado & PiccoloĬortado is basically a macchiato but instead of regular milk, you steam the milk first. But I’m not going to buy this poor excuse, especially when they are listed under macchiato in the menu, and so many people order it thinking that’s what macchiato tastes like that the regular macchiato needed to be renamed to “espresso macchiato”. Technically the name “caramel macchiato” means “caramel marked” in fake Italian (should be caramello macchiato). The greatest scam in coffee: Starbucks caramel macchiato is not a macchiato but instead is actually a latte with caramel drizzled on top. But for modern espresso, especially in North America, it’s made with about an equal amount of milk and espresso, partially because latte arts are cool and require more milk. It means “marked”, traditionally (in Europe) it’s an espresso with a tiny bit of milk. From here on, the drinks increase gradually in milkiness as we go down the list. The name just means “espresso with cream”. This is just espresso with a bit of cream (whipped or double) added on top. Espresso RomanoĮspresso with a hint of lemon added. Generally, it’s a double ristretto mixed with hot water. Long BlackĪ long black is similar to an Americano but with more coffee and less water. This is a way to make espresso similar in strength (not taste) to North American filtered drip coffee. You might need to search online for a specialty cafe if you want to try them. However, these two are slightly too “WOKE” for Starbucks so they aren’t usually on the menu and the barista there might not be able to make one. You get more coffee brewed with more water.

However, you also get less coffee.Ī drink growing in popularity recently, Italian for “long”, Lungo is the opposite of Ristretto. Ristretto is the Italian for “restricted”, this is a variation on the espresso where even less water is used and the taste is sweeter than espresso. If you want a taste of home, order drip coffee if they have it. So by default, coffee is a shot of espresso. This is because, in Europe, Oceania, or Asia, espresso is the most common, or the only style of coffee available. If you travel often, then you have probably ordered a shot of espresso (or even worse, a cup of milk) at a coffee shop abroad by accident. At most cafes, you can just order a single or a double shot, but at Starbucks it’s called solo and doppio. Each shot is about as strong as a small latte (you will see why) in terms of caffeine. In general, one shot of espresso is brewed from about 7g of coffee yielding around 25mL of espresso. In terms of taste, when compared to drip coffee, espresso is very rich and viscose with delicate crema on the top. However, espresso didn’t become well known in North America until the “Second-Wave Coffee” movement marked by the growth of Peet’s coffee and its rival Starbucks. While the espresso could be said to have been invented in the early 20th century, its rise to popularity occurred mostly after WWII when it broke into the post-war European culture. Before someone sends me an email about the misrepresentation of espresso with the legal criteria for espresso given by the Italian Espresso Institute (yes, it’s real), it’s important to recognize that just like food, espresso differs between geographical locations and that variety makes it interesting. But for the sake of sanity, we will define espresso as a small strong shot of coffee brewed under pressure, covered with a foam called “crema”. While most coffee snobs claim to know exactly what espresso is, it’s near impossible to actually define modern espresso. The espresso can be thought of as the answer to the question: “How to stuff as much flavour (& caffeine) into the smallest volume of liquid possible?” Each has its own purpose, to elevate a certain aspect of the coffee bean it’s brewed from. Believe it or not, there are so many ways to brew coffee that it makes your head spin, ranging from the cold nitro brew, vacuum pot, french press, to your good-ol North American drip coffee.

Let’s begin with the foundation of espresso drinks, the espresso shot itself. So next time you visit a posh cafe, don’t be afraid to try something new. After this blog, you will know everything there is to know about ordering an espresso drink at any specialty cafe around the world. A Somewhat Comprehensive Crash Course on Espresso Drinksĭo you like coffee but aren’t sure what you should order so you just order a latte every time? Don’t worry, I used to be like that too.

Espresso drinks