-------------------------------------------------------------- *** LIST OF SPECIALTY COFFEE/ESPRESSO DRINKS *** -------------------------------------------------------------- It is not possible to present such a list as this without explanation and a bit of perspective. There is great variation from region to region (and sometimes even from shop to shop) in the definition of specialty coffee drinks. Please keep in mind that the following information is highly subjective. Barry Jarrett emphasizes: "Getting a *precise* definition of espresso drinks is not possible, just as getting precise definitions of cocktails isn't possible.... Proportions vary and individual baristas modify. [for example] Generally, a capp is 1/3,1/3,1/3... although this becomes blurred when a 'latte' has foam on it. The line between latte and capp is very vague, and the exact meaning of any of these terms can vary from shop to shop. E.G.: our regular latte has a double shot, little or no foam. In Seattle, that's a 'double latte'. In Australia, a Seattle latte, one shot & no foam, is called a 'flat white'. " David Ross adds: "These lists are pretty useless, since conventions differ by different parts of the country, and by particular shop within cities. (The same is true for other coffee conventions - for example, in Seattle French Roast is considered darker than Italian Roast, the opposite of the New York convention.)" As one contributor to the coffee newsgroups perhaps best put it, if you are fussy about such definitions, then it is better to order the drink the way you really want it than to rely on the definitions given below (e.g. order "a single shot of espresso with equal milk, no foam"). The point here is that when you travel, don't expect the definitions you are used to to be the same definitions everyone else uses -- again, order it the way you want it and you'll avoid both confusion and disappointment. In addition, any of the drinks listed below can have a variable amount of flavoring syrup added to them. Such syrups are available in a wide range of fruit, nut, and sweet flavors. Many brands of syrups have Italian names, though several are manufactured in the US. With the exception of caffè mocha, such variations are not listed below. Finally, the term 'caffè' is Italian for coffee (what Americans call espresso). The term 'latte' is Italian for milk. -------------------------------------------------------------- Espresso ........... [ess-PRESS-o] A 1-2 ounce drink made in by forcing (caffè) hot water under pressure through finely ground coffee beans. Typically, espresso beans are darkly roasted but this is not a requirement. -------------------------------------------------------------- (Caffè) Americano .. Espresso diluted (after brewing) with an equal portion of hot water. Not everyone agrees: "Not necessarily. In many places an 'Americano' may be a 'regular' coffee from a coffee maker." Some definitions of Americano claim it is espresso being diluted with 'regular' coffee. But wait: "...a shot of espresso in a regular cup of coffee? This is called an 'Early Shirley' at my local..." "we've had the espresso/coffee combo referred to as a 'Hammerhead'." -------------------------------------------------------------- Breve .............. Espresso with steamed "half & half" (or cream) -------------------------------------------------------------- Cafe au Lait ....... Coffee and heated milk in latte proportions, but using 'regular' coffee (a.k.a. "American filter coffee") instead of espresso. The 'regular' coffee should be brewed 'double strength' to better reflect the heavier brew ratio used by Europeans (in some places double or triple the dose used by Americans). Still another contributor writes "espresso with scalded milk is a unique prep. Someone here recently called this drink cafe au lait". -------------------------------------------------------------- Cafecito ........... A Cuban coffee drink made from espresso and sugar. -------------------------------------------------------------- Caffè Corretto ..... Espresso with a dash of an alcoholic beverage, e.g. sambuca -------------------------------------------------------------- Cappuccino ......... [cap-uh-CHEE-no] A shot of espresso with the remainder being 50% steamed milk and 50% milk foam/froth. An alternative description is 1/3 espresso, 1/3 steamed milk, 1/3 foamed milk. But again, this depends very much on the maker. Many places use more steamed milk and less froth. "Cappuccino is essentially a latte topped with milk FOAM." Another contributor states "The foam should follow the milk to the cup naturally. [if] It is added with a spoon then [it] is _no_good." But just the opposite is true in other places. "I just started working as a barista, here in Berkeley, about a month ago. When I was shown how to make Cappuccino's, I was told that a Cappuccino has no steamed milk - only foam. The place I work is in a Hotel near UCBerk, and a lot of my customers are European. One Italian gentleman ordered a cappuccino from me, and I hadn't let the foam sit long enough and a *tiny* bit of milk seeped into the shot of espresso. He asked for another cappuccino, saying I hadn't made it right, so I asked him how it was done. He made another one, and it was a jet black shot of espresso with more than just a dollop of foam on top." Referring to the above description, Geoffrey Maugham writes: "We have always referred to this kind of cappuccino as a "dry" or "light" cappuccino. You can tell the difference between a good 1/3-1/3-1/3 cappuccino and a latte by their weight. Finally, some interesting history on the word cappuccino, according to the American Heritage Dictionary: "The history of the word cappuccino exemplifies how words can develop new senses because of resemblances that the original coiners of the terms might not have dreamed possible. The Capuchin order of friars, established after 1525, played an important role in bringing Catholicism back to Reformation Europe. Its Italian name came from the long, pointed cowl, or cappuccino, derived from cappuccio, "hood" that was worn as part of the order's habit. The French version of cappuccino was capuchin (now capucin), from which came English Capuchin. The name of this pious order was later used as the name (first recorded in English in 1785) for a type of monkey with a tuft of black, cowllike hair. In Italian cappuccino went on to develop another sense, "espresso coffee mixed or topped with steamed milk or cream" so called because the color of the coffee resembled the color of the habit of a Capuchin friar. The first use of cappuccino in English is recorded in 1948 in a work about San Francisco." -------------------------------------------------------------- Cold Brewed ........ Coffee brewed using cold or lukewarm water. Usually brewed double or triple strength and the diluted with water and heated. This concentrated 'coffee mix' is created by allowing grounds to steep for several hours. Said to taste quite different than hot brewed coffee. (Note: This is not considered to be espresso.) -------------------------------------------------------------- Espresso Con Panna [ess-PRESS-o cone PA-na] Espresso with a dollop of whipped cream. -------------------------------------------------------------- (Caffè) Latte ...... [caf-AY LAH-tay] Espresso with steamed milk and in some shops, a small cap of foam. It has less foam than a cappuccino. Definitions blur easily here. In Australia: " 'Latte' gets you a _glass_ with a shot of espresso and lots of milk and some foam - half way between a flat white and a cap. Seems to have originated as the breakfast drink of Sydney commuters. Has become infinitely fashionable due to the need for brass glass holders, which only the fashionable coffee houses have (the rest of us wrap the glass in a napkin)" -------------------------------------------------------------- Lattecino .......... Espresso with steamed milk and about a half inch of milk foam on top. (NOTE: This is commonly served as "latte" in some parts of the country.) Some enthusiasts feel this name is a pretentious invention by overly imaginative coffee shops. On the other hand... -------------------------------------------------------------- (Caffè) Lungo ...... A 'long pull' espresso. It is an espresso diluted by allowing a longer extraction thereby resulting in a weaker drink. -------------------------------------------------------------- Macchiato .......... [mock-e-AH-toe] Some say this is espresso with about (caffè m.) a half inch of milk foam (no steamed milk). But some (espresso m.) strongly disagree. One enthusiast writes of the above definition: "Surely not. Macchiato (lit. "marked") is a dash of milk or cream in espresso." Another writes "the chap who serves me espresso, and who has been roasting coffee and selling and leasing machines for several years ....tells me that Macchiato is made with half-and-half." From Australia: " 'Macchiato' has two variations here - long and short. 'Short' is an espresso (in the mandatory micro cup) with just a dash of milk. This is the default at most trad. Italian mum & dad restaurants. 'Long' is a _glass_ with two shots of espresso, and small amount of milk. The peak of macchiato making is to pour the milk in so slowly that it never makes it to the bottom of the glass. The resulting layered drink has been known to inspire fear in the novice drinker. This the default at coffee houses. Both of these _seemed_ to have started out in small glasses (about 175ml) but the fashionable have demanded ever larger glasses - of about 375ml. Starbucks defines Espresso Macchiato as "1 shot of espresso in a demitasse [topped with] a small dollop of foamed milk. Finally, this somewhat similar variation: "The coffeehouse I work at serves as Macchiato, a layered cappuccino. 1/3 steamed milk, 1/3 espresso sitting on that (not mixed), and finally 1/3 milk foam. When served in glass, it is quite elegant, and when drunk, the foam insulates the coffee for temperatures sake, the espresso hits the palate first, and finally, the slightly sweet steamed milk washes the palate. a fine beverage, though perhaps not the standard." -------------------------------------------------------------- (Caffè) Mocha ...... [caf-AY MO-kah] A term of no small controversy. Depending upon where you are, ordering a 'mocha' might get you a 'latte' or a cappuccino with chocolate syrup or hot cocoa. On the other hand, it might just send the barista thermonuclear -- especially if the word 'mocha' is not on the menu. Mocha was a port in Yemen -- a major coffee-growing country located in southwest Asia at the southern tip of the Arabian peninsula -- and "it has NOTHING to do with chocolate!!!!!" One contributor states "However, my dictionary lists Mocha as 'a flavoring obtains from a combined infusion of coffee and chocolate' usage as dating from the early 19th century (circa 1815 it says)" For the record, the American Heritage Dictionary gives the following 5 definitions: mo·cha n. 1. A rich, pungent Arabian coffee. 2. Coffee of high quality. 3. A flavoring made of coffee often mixed with chocolate. 4. A soft, thin, suede-finished glove leather usually made from sheepskin. 5. Color. A dark olive brown. [After Mocha, a town of southwest Yemen.] One reader comments "I still don't see why a Chocolate Latte has a special name when a Raspberry Latte doesn't." Starbucks defines caffè mocha as "enough good quality chocolate syrup to cover the bottom of the cup, 1 shot of espresso [...] fill with steamed milk [...] top with a dollop of whipped cream [...] and lightly sprinkle with cocoa powder". Finally, one reader sends us "When I was in New Zealand a popular coffee was a 'mochachino' which was made by adding hot chocolate to espresso, it was quite foamy (as foamy as the hot chocolate). " The term 'mochacino' is apparently also used some places in the US. The best advice here is to check the menu before ordering or ask for a "cappuccino/latte with chocolate syrup". -------------------------------------------------------------- Moka/Mokka ......... The kind of coffee you get when you use a stove top espresso maker. "It's not quite espresso, so it doesn't really fall under that category." Don't confuse this with 'mocha' (listed above). -------------------------------------------------------------- (Caffè) Ristretto .. A 'short pull' (stronger) espresso. "A ristretto is an espresso made with less (half?) the water used for a regular espresso. "It is a 'ristretto' or restricted shot, where the flow of water is turned off early giving a .75 to 1 oz shot instead of a 1.5 to 2 oz shot. VERY stout." --------------------------------------------------------------