What ever happened to the days of simply ordering a coffee in a foam cup? As artisanal coffee shops have become a billion dollar business, it seems regular coffee has been replaced by an Italian-sounding group of options. People order these concoctions every day without really knowing the difference between them.
Be ahead of the lemmings and arm yourself with knowledge. Here is an easy guide to the most popular coffee options you will see at most coffee shops:
Coffee – Black brew brewed from roasted and ground coffee beans. You add your milk and sweetener and you see fit.
Espresso – A darker, concentrated brew made from coffee beans that have been grinded down to almost a powder-like consistency. Brewing occurs by using pressurized hot water
Latte – A drink made from (usually one shot of) espresso and steamed milk.
Café au lait – Simply drip coffee with hot milk added.
Americano – Served like a drip coffee, an Americano is espresso topped with hot water.
Cappuccino – The foamiest option, a cappuccino combines espresso and hot milk and is topped with a large milky froth.
Macchiatto – Foamier than a latte, but less foamy than a cappuccino, a macchiato is made by adding espresso to hot milk and topped with a small amount of foam.
Cubano – A caffe cubano is an espresso shot sweetened with a dark brown sugar.
Ristretto – A small espresso made from the same amount of beans, but less water. This creates a stronger drink.
Flat White – Foamed milk poured into espresso, a flat white uses stronger espresso and has a higher proportion of coffee to milk.
Cortado – An espresso with a very small amount of warm milk added. A small drink with a bigger punch.
Doppio – A double.
Red Eye – A shot of espresso added to a drip coffee to create a very strong, caffeinated beverage.
Affogatto – More on the dessert menu than the coffee shop menu, an affogatto is coffee poured over sweet treat (like ice cream or gelato)
