These days, everyone and their grandma knows what a Cappuccino or an Americano is. But have you heard of a Doppio? How about a Ristretto?
This espresso drinks guide will reveal every drink you can make with espresso. You’ll learn it all. Wanna know how to order a single, double, or triple shot? I’ve got your back, broski. The difference between a Latte and a Flat White? You bet it’s in here.
I’ll even whack in all the hip slang the kids are using. Just in case you’re dying to know what a “Dry Soy Skinny Capo” is. And no I did not make that up. It’s a real thing what people say.
Contents
1. Espresso
2. Doppio (& Tripplo)
3. Americano
4. Cappuccino
5. Latte
6. Mocha
7. Macchiato
8. Caramel Macchiato
9. Affogato
10. Flat White
11. Long Black
12. Ristretto
13. Lungo
14. Breve
15. Con Panna
16. Cortado
1. Espresso
HOW IT IS MADE
– espresso
Espresso is the small, strong coffee that comes out of the espresso machine. Its tiny size does mean it can be used to make lots of different drinks.
Espresso is super strong and intense. And it can be consumed on its own. I personally love it, although it tends to be a love/hate thing for most people. Drink it out of a tiny cup for the full effect.
2. Doppio (& Tripplo)
HOW IT IS MADE
– espresso (2)
Like espresso a lot? Get twice as much by ordering a doppio. Want three shots of espresso? Well, now you need to order a tripplo.
Outside of Italy, you’re probably going to hear “double espresso” and “triple espresso” instead. It just doesn’t sound as cool though, does it?
3. Americano
HOW IT IS MADE
– espresso
– hot water
Americano is a close cousin of the traditional brewed coffee and is made by simply topping up the mug with hot water. It got its name from American soldiers over in Europe in World War 2. I guess they just wanted coffee like they were used to.
Americano is an easy — if boring — entry point for those more used to brewed coffee. Pop a little milk in and you can barely tell it’s an espresso drink!
4. Cappuccino
HOW IT IS MADE
– espresso
– steamed milk
– frothed milk
In its native Italy, Cappuccino is considered a breakfast drink — don’t order one after 11am unless you want a dirty look.
The frothed and steamed milk provides a touch of sustenance which, along with a dose of caffeine, offers a morning pick-me-up for the signore e signori.
You can order a Dry Cappuccino to remove the steamed milk and just have frothy milk. Vice versa for a Wet Cappuccino.
5. Latte
HOW IT IS MADE
– espresso
– steamed milk
– a touch of frothed milk
Latte is Cappuccino’s steamier cousin. It uses the same ingredients but with more steamed milk and less foam. It does mean it’s one of the higher calorie espresso offerings.
The latte gives its name to latte art – the craft of etching cute drawings in the foam of a coffee.
6. Mocha
HOW IT IS MADE
– espresso
– chocolate (usually cocoa powder or syrup)
– steamed milk
Chocolate lovers rejoice! We’ve found your coffee order. The Mocha takes chocolate — usually in the form of cocoa powder or syrup – and layers it over a shot of espresso. A dash of steamed milk brings it all together.
The Mocha is one of the most customizable drinks in this list. A puffy marshmallow or a dusting of cinnamon are just a couple of tasty finishing touches for a Mocha.
7. Macchiato
HOW IT IS MADE
– espresso
– tiny amount of foamed milk
A Macchiato is an espresso shot served with the tiniest dot of milk. The small amount of milk, usually foamed, adds a touch of sweetness. This enhances, rather than overwhelms, the strong espresso flavor.
Macchiato means “stained” or “spotted” in Italian. The name comes from baristas who needed to tell the waiters the difference between this drink and a normal espresso – a tiny drop of milk doesn’t change the appearance too much!
8. Caramel Macchiato
HOW IT IS MADE
– espresso
– warm milk
– whipped cream
– caramel
Whatever you do, don’t confuse this with the macchiato! This sweet coffee drink is a popular Starbuck’s creation that has little basis in Italian culture. The Caramel Macchiato.
Perhaps closer to a dessert than a beverage, this drink is well known for its pretty pattern of criss-cross caramel.
9. Affogato (or Glace)
HOW IT IS MADE
– espresso
– gelato or ice cream
The affogato is made with a scoop of vanilla ice cream over a shot of espresso. For me, a touch on the sugary side for a morning cup of joe. But actually, restaurants and cafes in Italy will categorize it as a dessert.
10. Flat White
HOW IT IS MADE
– espresso
– stretched milk
The influx of Italian immigrants to Australia after World War 2 brought a huge boon to coffee culture down under. It also brought the Flat White. (Note to self: chill with the war references).
At first glance, the Flat White is the same as a Latte. A Flat White, however, is smaller – with the same amount of espresso but less milk – giving it a stronger taste. The milk should be prepared slightly differently as well, using a technique that produces “stretched milk”.
Photo by Alpha
11. Long Black
HOW IT IS MADE
– espresso
– hot water
A Short Black is the name for an espresso in Australia. It follows that a Long Black is like an Americano – although there’s a subtle difference.
To make a Long Black, the hot water must be poured in the cup first and the espresso is added after. Sound pointless? Try telling that to an Aussie. You might just get an earful about how a Long Black allows the velvety crema to sit on the surface of your drink.
Photo by Chris Pavlik
12. Breve
HOW IT IS MADE
– espresso
– half and half
The alternative name for the Breve – the Half and Half – gives more of a clue about its contents: espresso and a mixture of half milk and half cream. A counterpart to the Latte that originated in the US.
Photo by Cecile Fromonteuil
13. Ristretto
HOW IT IS MADE
– espresso (short pull)
A Ristretto is an espresso shot that is pulled for half the amount of time but still with the same amount of coffee. It follows that a Ristretto is about half the size of an Espresso.
The idea is that a Ristretto is the first half of a full extraction, giving the coffee a more concentrated flavor and a different balance of compounds. It’s a rare sight to come across somewhere offering a Ristretto in the wild. But worth a try, if you can find it!
14. Lungo
Photo by oothoth
HOW IT IS MADE
– espresso (long pull)
A Lungo is the opposite of the Ristretto. It’s a longer pull. In fact, the name comes from the Italian for long.
A Lungo is an espresso shot that is pulled for around double the amount of time but with the same amount of coffee. There will be a larger volume than the espresso shot.
A Lungo is less strong, but more bitter than an espresso. The Lungo should still be shorter than an Americano or a Long Black and should also have a distinctly different taste.
Photo by David Basanta
15. Con Panna
HOW IT IS MADE
– espresso
– whipped cream
The creamy Con Panna, like the Affogato, is one for those with a sweet tooth.
Often called a “Cafe Vienne” due to its popularity in Austria, the Con Panna is super simple – espresso with whipped cream. Traditionally served in a tiny demitasse cup — see the picture — this drink is one of the oldest known ways of serving coffee.
Photo by brent peters
16. Cortado
HOW IT IS MADE
– espresso
– warm milk
The Cortado is espresso coffee mixed with an equal amount of warm milk — not frothed or foamed. The name comes from Spanish, rather than Italian like most of this list, and this drink is popular in Spain, Portugal and other Spanish-speaking countries.
Espresso Vocabulary
So you’re feeling confident, and armed with your new knowledge you step into your local coffee joint. But disaster strikes. As you join the line, you hear the order from the person in front. They’re getting a “Wet Skinny Soy Almond Cappo”. Uh oh. You flee in terror, picking up a jar of Folger’s on the way home.
As my very, very realistic example shows, there’s more to the lingo than just knowing the names of the drinks. Here’s some useful terms.
Solo/Triple/Quad – Most espresso drinks will be served with two shots of espresso. You can alter this by ordering a Solo or Single for one shot, a Triple for three shots and a Quad for four.
Cap/Capo – What some people call Cappuccinos. The extra half a second they save is extremely important to them I suppose.
Wet – Used to indicated you want more liquid and less foam. Often used with a Cappuccino to reduce its inherent foaminess. Personally, I like my Capos wet. (Sounds weird written like that though…!)
Decaf – Short for “decaffeinated”. Means you want it without the caffeine. Decaffeinated coffee is made from beans that were processed to remove the caffeine at source. Bear in mind there will still be small but imperceptible amounts of caffeine in your drink.
Dry – Contrasting with ‘Wet’, a drink that is asked for ‘Dry’ is going to have more foam and less liquid.
Half-Caf – A drink that is made from half normal espresso and half decaf. This one’s a bit of a mystery to me as I’ve heard the term but never seen anyone actually order it!
Almond – This is stating a preference for almond milk over cow’s milk, often for allergy reasons but also perhaps for health or taste reasons.
Soy – Similar to ‘Almond’ in that it’s simply substituting the normal milk for an alternative.
Skinny – This word means you want low-fat milk to be used. Less calories will make you “skinny”, like if you’re on a diet.
With Legs – Used to mean you want it in a disposable cup, kind of like meaning “to go”.
And if all that isn’t enough for ya, I got even more espresso vocab here. This article is less about the ordering espresso, and more about brewing it yourself.
Can you make espresso drinks at home?
In over ten years brewing espresso, both professionally and as a hobby, I have to say… nothing beats that first year of learning to brew. It’s such a great hobby. Loads to learn. Great challenge. And you can impress friends, family and loved ones with coffee that tastes like you went out and ordered it.
It’s not easy, but if you like the sound of it then I’d recommend getting started with this espresso machine here. It’s not flashy. And a few snobs might turn their nose up at it. But I think it’s a solid starting point. And you’ll be able to make any of the drinks on this list with it. You might even be able to pull off a “god shot”.
5 Comments
Very nice, informative article. Thanks!
Thank you! I would like to have all 16 espressos illustrated on my kitchen wall.
I love a cortado but they definitely don’t exist in Portugal unless its in a fancy place that does foreign coffees. The Portuguese have an entire lexicon of their own coffee terms, some of which overlap with Italian, some of which don’t.
Bica, cheio, cheiro, pingado, garoto, abatonado, meia de leite, galão, and some others I can’t remember right now.
Takes a while to understand them.
Thanks for the insight. I’ve actually never been to Portugal so can’t speak from my own experience. I’ve updated the article.
Those terms all sound interesting. I need to get myself over there someday/
as an aspiring coffee snob, this article has been very informative. I look forward to name-dropping these drinks and I’ve been practicing my smug look of superiority for such occasions!