It’s now summer and it’s the season of summer school, work, catching up with old friends, and getting that love life back. What do all of these have in common? COFFEE!! From trying to find a chill and low-stress environment for those dates and reunions, to getting that daily drip that keeps you going through the struggles of work and summer school. Let us be your guide to some basic coffee lingo.
Many people out there walk into a café and stare at the menu for minutes after minutes not sure on exactly what to get. Mainly because they were never educated on what each drink consists of exactly. Well ponder no more! Here is your guide to everything and all things coffee!
Espresso:
This shot of a drink is for the daredevils and desperate summer schoolers. This is for the drinker who doesn’t care about coffee art or having complex fancy drinks. There are two types of espresso shots; short black and doppio (aka double espresso). A short black is simply one shot of espresso, while a doppio consists of two shots of espresso in an espresso cup.
CAUTION: Don’t use this coffee lingo if you identify as a mere muggle (I see you Harry Potter fans) or someone with a weak stomach.
Macchiato:
A macchiato is a drink for the light hearted espresso drinkers. There are two version of a macchiato; a short macchiato and a Long macchiato. A short macchiato is composed of one shot of espresso, steamed milk, and lastly foam all layered in a small espresso cup. This coffee drink is for those who can’t tolerate the harsh taste of a basic espresso cup. As for the long macchiato, it has the same ingredients and structure as a short macchiato but with a twist; it contains double the amount of espresso shots. The trick for these two drinks is to make sure there are three different layers to your drink (they should be different colors).
Ristretto:
This drink, believe it or not, is even stronger than a single shot of an espresso. The secret to the extra kick is halving the amount of water usually found in a short black or double espresso. This happens when the barista turns off the machine before the espresso extraction turns to a blonde color. We think this drink should come with a red label warning about energy levels skyrocketing. Summer schoolers this drink right here is perfect for that late night final exam crash course studying.
Americano:
“Americano” is an exchangable term in coffee lingo that can be interchanged with a long black. Unlike a ristretto this is made with 2/3rds of hot water with one shot of espresso poured over the hot water. Making a more diluted drink that still has that oomph to it.
Café Latte:
This is where we getting to be fancy, elegant, and creatively crazy with our drinks. A latte is a shot of espresso with steamed milk and foam on top of the steamed milk. It is similar to a macchiato except that the milk and espresso for this drink are mixed together and are not separated. The milk makes it sweeter than a simple espresso drink. Baristas usually showcase their art skills by creating designs on the drink with the steamed milk. The steamed milk and espresso both have different consistency but the steamed milk has just enough thickness that makes latte art possible. Just remember to ask your barista for that special design that you want before they start pouring.
Protip: There’s a small version of this called piccolo latte. If you would like a cold version just order an iced latte.
Cappuccino:
A small cute mug of Cappuccino is basically a latte. The only change is that there’s chocolate powder sprinkled on top of the foam. This drink is perfect for those cold rainy summer days. Just sit in a café and sip this perfect warm cup of happiness while watching the rain drip outside of your café window.
Flat White:
A cappuccino without any foam or chocolate on top is called flat white. This drink has a muted coffee tone and its spices come through robustly.
Mocha:
This is the perfect treat-yourself dessert drink. It is made up of a chocolate powdered espresso shot with steamed milk added and that finishing touch of cloudy foam on top. To make it even more of a dessert there’s chocolate powder sprinkled on top for more of that sweet taste with that caffeine component still present. Some may even say it’s a hybrid of both a cappuccino and hot chocolate. Perfect for that sweet toothed coffee drinker.
Affogato:
An affogato should be your go-to summer drink. It’s an ingenious invention of a scoop of vanilla ice-cream with a single or double shot of espresso. Nothing says sweet like a creamy vanilla taste to a bold and dark flavored drink. This is also a perfect for that after dinner dessert (just don’t forget that afterwards you will be bouncing off the wall with a caffeinated sugar high).
For those crazy risk takers, add a shot of frangelico (a hazelnut liqueur) to the drink.
Frappuccino:
Frappuccinos are the summer’s craze. Its a drink that has a coffee or any other customized base ingredient blended in a blender with ice and other ingredients. It is then topped off with whipped cream and any desired sauces. We’re in the middle of frappe season so let the madness begin!
While this coffee lingo and drinks guide consists of a bunch of different drinks, it’s important to remember that these are the basis foundation of other various types of drinks. Don’t be scared to go crazy and all out by customizing your own drink. Try something new and be adventurous for the summer! You never know, your creation might be the next special selected to be added to the menu.