How do you drink Coffee in the World? Some ideas for your bar

Coffee, as we know, is the most widely consumed beverage in the World. And everyone prefers it in their own way:

• Short
• Long
• Hot “macchiato”
• Warm “macchiato”
• With little foam
• Normal but with “foam”
• In large cup
• In a glass
• Milk and foam “macchiato”

…and so on and so forth!

A problem for the Bartender
All the bartenders will have already recognized these phrases because, daily, we have requests of all kinds.

For the bartender it can be a problem, both from an organizational point of view and from the point of view of price: evaluate instantly that “little extra milk” is not easy, as it also affects the
preparation time.

If you can’t fight him, befriend him.
A wise old man used to say, “if you can’t fight it, befriend it.”
Abroad they seem to have taken advantage of this advice by taking all the “customizations” of our clients and turning them into real drinks with their own precise identity:

• Name
• positioning in the menu
• and price

Types of Coffee in the World

Flat White

Following this logic, the noble (abroad) Flat White is nothing more than a:

• double espresso
• in a cappuccino cup
• with added milk
• and little foam

The cup is preferable not to exceed 150-160 ml as the goal is to have a drink with an intense coffee flavour and low milk influence.

MIlk

By asking for a “Latte” abroad we will be served what we call “latte macchiato”:

• generally served in a tall tumbler glass.
• filled with hot whipped cream milk
• served with a separate espresso that the customer pours into the milk in the quantity he or she prefers, thus creating the “3-colour layering” effect: white of the foam on top, brown of the coffee mixed with the milk in the centre, white of the milk at the bottom.

What is the difference with a Caffelatte?
Very little! Just pour the espresso first into the glass and then the whipped milk, similar to a Maxi Cappuccino.

In some areas of Italy Caffelatte is served intense and without foam, reminding the cup of hot milk that was drunk at home dipping tons of cookies.

American Coffee and Long Black

And what about the difference between an “American” and a “Long Black“?

American Coffee

The Americano is nothing more than an espresso in a cappuccino cup stretched with hot water. In fact, it takes its name from a very popular practice among American soldiers during the Second World War, who found our coffee too strong compared to their standards. So they added hot water making the drink more familiar to them.

Long Black

Changing the well-known mathematical formula, changing the order of the ingredients, the name changes too! Therefore, pouring hot water into the cup first and then extracting an espresso directly over the water turns the Americano into a Long Black.

Iced Coffee

Water and coffee mixed together can give us other surprises. Simply travel to Greece and order a “Cold“. The bartender will ask:

• Which is our preference for sweetness: no sugar, medium or very sweet?
• then he will take a blender glass
• will add a double espresso
• add from 2 to 5 ice cubes
• add eventually sugar
• and at the end put everything in the blender
• and after a few seconds a very soft, foamy, velvety drink with the inevitable black straw will be saved.

Variants appreciated are the addition of milk in the blender or whipped cream to complete the glass.

There is a hot drink widespread throughout Italy that is very similar but takes different names depending on the area: “Capo in B” in Trieste, “Bianchino”, “Bianchetto” (not to be confused with wine!), “Macchiatino”, “Macchiatone”, etc..

Moroccan

It’s a kind of long macchiato coffee with different variations. The most famous one is the addition of cocoa, before, after or during, which turns it into Moroccan.

Cortado

Abroad, the famous “Cortado”, a Spanish drink now internationalized that reminds us of our long macchiato, is taking hold.

The original recipe for Cortado is:

• a glass with a capacity of 100-120ml.
• 2 espressos
• addition of cream-whipped milk to the brink.

Dulce de Leche: the most delicious variant

The Dulce de Leche, a sort of Italian condensed milk, is the variant with a single espresso (an excellent starting point to create a list of “shots” (drinks with a reduced quantity, generally to be
drunk in one go, but not necessarily) with different appetizers: pastry cream, hazelnut, pistachio, nutella…

It made me want to experiment. And you?