Coffee has an enormous place in our daily lives and even in our history. Some people might call it the great equalizer. Most of us can’t start our day without a good cup of Joe.
For hundreds of years, people have enjoyed this beverage. Legend has it that it started in Ethiopia, then spread its way throughout Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and Asia before finally making its way to the Americas.
Now, it plays an enormous part in many cultures. Just take the Brazilians who enjoy tiny cups of sweet espresso at all hours of the day. Go to Hong Kong and you might find yourself mixing it with tea. Or walk into a cafe in Paris and you’ll find cafe au lait to enjoy along with a pastry good.
No matter how you take your coffee, you know how important this simple drink is in our lives. Best of all, there are dozens of ways to enjoy this beverage. Maybe you’re a traditionalist who likes it black with no frills. Or perhaps you can’t get enough of chai lattes. If you don’t know how to decipher the java menu at your local cafe, look at this list. Chances are you’ll find something new.
1. Black
Black coffee is as plain as you can get it, which might be why it’s the favorite of our fathers. This is a hot drip coffee poured into a cup — no steam, no add-ins, and no flavorings.
White coffee is very similar to cafe au lait — in fact, this is just coffee with milk added. But the difference is the milk is cold. White coffee is what most of us drink daily.
Cold brew coffee is popular in New Orleans, but you can find it in many places around the world. It brews in cold water for roughly 18 to 24 hours to make a strong, concentrated cup of java that’s then diluted with milk, water, or ice.
Despite the similarity in their names, there’s a difference between cold drip and cold brew. Cold drip coffee is made by separating the water and coffee grounds and then letting them drip down through a special “tower.” It’s usually served as an espresso shot.
Espresso is a popular coffee drink. It’s brewed by using pressure to force water through finely-ground coffee beans. The result is a highly-caffeinated coffee with a layer of foam and oil on the top.
The Americano earned its name — legend has it — because it was the preferred drink of American soldiers during World War II. It’s made by pouring a shot of espresso into a coffee cup, then adding water to the top.
Macchiato is the Italian word for “mark.” This is because it describes a shot of espresso with a small amount of milk that forms a mark at the top. It has the intensity of an espresso cut but with a smooth creaminess.
A latte is a shot of espresso combined with warm milk. The shot is poured into a cup, then milk is added until the cup’s full. This is an extremely popular drink at coffee shops around the globe.
A cappuccino fills the space between a latte and a macchiato. It’s made by adding steamed milk to a shot of espresso and putting foam on the top. Traditionally, it should be divided into equal thirds of espresso, milk, and foam.
Iced coffee can be made several ways — black or with milk, sweeteners or other add-ins. It’s served in a tall glass with whole ice cubes, making it a popular choice for summertime. But many people drink it year round.
For people who enjoy their daily cup of Joe but need to watch their caffeine intake, decaffeinated or “decaf” as most people call it, is a good choice of coffee. Caffeine’s removed by soaking the beans in a solvent. It’s important to note that decaf coffee still contains trace amounts of caffeine.
As the name implies, half-caf is coffee with half the caffeine of a standard cup of coffee. This is achieved by mixing equal parts of caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee.
Latte Macchiato is, as you might guess, a combination of a latte and a macchiato. It adds a shot of espresso to steamed milk with a layer of foam added on top.
Manilo is a coffee drink that consists of an espresso shot and a tiny amount of milk — usually less than 100 milliliters. It’s a strong and flavorful cup of java.
Cafe Miel consists of a shot of espresso mixed with steamed milk and sweetened with honey. It’s often topped with cinnamon for an added layer of flavor.
As the name implies, cafe mocha is coffee that’s combined with chocolate in some form. This could be either chocolate syrup or powder added to a mixture of espresso and milk.
When you order coffee as a “double,” it can refer to almost anything. Typically, it means the barista will double the quantity of whatever add-ins you choose, such as espresso shots, sugar, cream, and the like.
A double Double refers to the way many people take their coffee. This includes two servings of cream and two of sugar. Just be forewarned — in some places, the term refers to a drink with four shots of espresso.
A skinny coffee is a regular coffee made with skim or nonfat milk or creamer. The term can also be applied to other coffee drinks, such as a skinny cappuccino.
A frappe is an iced coffee drink usually made from instant coffee. It can be made with many different combinations of milk and sweeteners but always includes a top layer of foam, achieved by shaking the cup.
A long macchiato, unsurprisingly, differs from a standard macchiato in part because of its size. But the real difference lies in the distinct, visible layers of coffee and milk.
Doppio is simply the Italian term — also used by baristas everywhere — for a double shot of espresso. The result is a concentrated, highly-caffeinated coffee. So, it’s best for those who can handle the boost of energy.
Ristretto is the shorter form of espresso ristretto, or “restricted espresso.” This is a smaller shot of espresso, which makes it even more highly concentrated than the average shot. It’s extremely popular among self-pronounced coffee snobs.
A flat white coffee is an espresso shot with milk and only a slight layer of foam on the top. People in Australia and New Zealand love this version of coffee. Some even say it originated in that part of the world.
A red eye is a cup of regularly brewed coffee containing a shot of espresso. As the name implies, it’s highly caffeinated so it packs a caffeine punch.
A black eye is simply the next level up from the red eye. Instead of one shot of espresso, it uses two, adding them to a standard 6-ounce cup of regular coffee.
A dead eye is the most extreme of the three versions. It’s often considered one of the most highly-caffeinated coffees in the world. It consists of a cup of regular coffee with three shots of espresso.
Cafe Noisette is a shot of espresso that’s combined with a tiny amount of hot milk, either added or served alongside in a small cup. The word “noisette” is French for hazelnut, referring to the color of the coffee.
Breve is an ultra-creamy, rich coffee drink made with a shot of espresso, foam included, and steamed half-and-half. The result is a cup of coffee that’s thick, smooth, and bubbly.
People in Brazil drink this coffee multiple times a day. It consists of strong coffee boiled with a lot of sugar served in a small cup. The result is a robust, sweet drink.
Don’t giggle at the word “Wiener” — in this case, it refers to Vienna. This drink comes in several variations but can include steamed milk, whipped cream, or foam made of egg whites and sugar.
Because a long black is similar to an Americano, some people confuse the two. While an Americano is made by diluting a shot of espresso with water, a long black is made by pouring a Doppio or Ristretto into hot water. It’s more flavorful and aromatic than an Americano.
A flavored latte is fairly self-explanatory: it’s a latte with added syrups or spices to give it an extra layer of flavor. Examples include seasonal favorites like the popular pumpkin spice latte.
Quick and Dirty coffee, also called Café Rápido y sucio, refers to three shots of espresso combined with chocolate syrup. There’s no milk or sugar added.
An even more intense variation of the Quick and Dirty is the Fast and Filthy. This coffee contains even more espresso. To qualify, it must have more than three shots, combined, of course, with chocolate syrup.
A cappuccino is made by mixing steamed milk with espresso and adding foam as a top layer. In a wet cappuccino, the layer of foam is thinner and more milk is added.
Single is another way of asking for a single shot of espresso. This is self-explanatory; there are no frills or add-ins, just a shot of espresso in a cup.
If you speak Italian, you know this translates to “espresso with cream.” It’s simply a shot of espresso topped with a layer of whipped cream. The bitterness of the espresso pairs well with the smooth sweetness of the whip.
Espresso Romano is a shot of espresso served with a slice of lemon. This can either be eaten along with the coffee or run along the rim of the cup. The acidity is said to bring out the sweetness of the java.
Cafe Bombon might’ve originated in Asia where many variants are still popular. The Spanish version adds sweetened condensed milk to a shot of espresso in a 1:1 ratio.
Cafe Cubano uses a method of mixing sugar with coffee grounds before brewing. The result is a strong, very sweet coffee that’s sometimes frothed in the cup before serving.
A mochaccino can refer to several drinks. These include variations on either a latte or a cappuccino. It usually uses a small amount of espresso combined with steamed milk and chocolate in either syrup or powder form.
Despite the name, the Espressino is not all that similar to an espresso. It consists of cocoa powder on the bottom of the drink, then equal parts espresso and steamed milk added with more cocoa on the top.
A Piccolo Latte is sometimes affectionately referred to as a baby latte. It’s a drink consisting of a Ristretto shot topped with warm, frothed milk, and served in a small glass.
The term shot can refer to many things in the coffee world, including flavored syrup. But it’s usually used to describe espresso — a single shot of espresso can be added to a cup of regular coffee or enjoyed alone.
A solo can also be referred to almost any coffee drink. The distinction is that it contains a single shot of espresso, no matter what size the drink itself is.
A quad refers to a drink with four shots of espresso, making it highly caffeinated and strong. However, in some places, this is called a Double Double. Your best plan is to make sure you and your barista are on the same page.
Caffe Marocchino is similar to other mocha drinks. It contains a shot of espresso combined with cocoa powder and frothy milk. Variations might include hot cocoa or even Nutella.
As the name implies, a triple is a coffee drink with three shots of espresso. But it can also refer to three plain shots of espresso taken in a single serving.
A whip is simply a coffee drink topped with whipped cream. This could refer to a regular coffee or a more complicated version of java like an espresso, latte, or cappuccino.
A Lungo, or long shot espresso, is made by doubling the amount of water added to a shot of espresso. This makes a larger cup of coffee that’s not quite as strong as the average espresso.
As with almost anything these days, it’s possible to find sugar-free coffee drinks. These might include milk alternatives as well as sugar-free flavored syrups or sugar alternatives.
Not only is Turkish coffee well-known throughout the Middle East but also the entire world. It’s made by boiling extremely fine coffee grounds with water and sugar. People drink this black with the grounds forming a thick layer at the bottom.
The only thing more delicious than a cup of Joe is coffee with liquor add. Irish coffee contains a shot of whiskey along with whipped cream and a tablespoon of butter.
Viennese-style coffee combines several shots of espresso with a good helping of whipped cream. There’s no need to add milk or sugar — the whipped cream serves as both.
This strong coffee is two shots of espresso combined with an equal amount of water. The resulting cup of Joe is strong but not overwhelmingly high in caffeine.
This drink is made by serving a plain double shot of espresso in a cup with a small cup of milk on one side. People then add the milk themselves — ideally, whole milk.
Coffee and citrus might not be everyone’s cup of — well, coffee. But this coffee drink requires the barista to pour several shots of espresso over sliced limes. It can also be iced or include milk.
A Cafe Borgia follows the same basic principles of a cafe mocha, combining steamed milk with espresso and chocolate. It also adds orange flavoring or peel, along with whipped cream.
A freddo espresso is a form of sweet iced coffee that’s extremely popular in Greece. Essentially, it’s an iced coffee shake made by blending two shots of espresso with ice and sugar.
A palazzo is a version of iced coffee. It’s made by combining two shots of chilled espresso with sweet cream for a drink that’s both highly caffeinated and smooth.
If you love to make coffee at home, try your hand at butter coffee. Brew the coffee in a traditional drip pot, then add a tablespoon each of salted butter and coconut oil. Some people like to put it in the blender to make it frothy.
Shakerato is a coffee drink that consists of espresso, ice cubes, and simple syrup. The ingredients are put together into a cocktail shaker and then shaken until frothy.
Affogato is a delicious combination of coffee and ice cream. A serving of ice cream (usually vanilla, although it can be other flavors) is covered with a shot of espresso.
You might not be able to find ginseng coffee everywhere, but if you can, it’s a treat. The drink’s comprised of regular coffee with ginseng and soy milk added. It’s often advertised as a healthier coffee drink.
The popular Hong Kong coffee beverage is known as Yuan Yang. It’s made by mixing coffee with tea and milk to make a hybrid drink with a caffeine boost.
Instead of the Western milk and sugar combination, Vietnamese iced coffee cuts out the middleman. It adds sweetened condensed milk to dark-roasted iced coffee.
Milk alternatives in coffee have grown more popular in recent years. Rice milk is one common choice for those who can’t ingest dairy or choose to avoid it.
Perhaps even more popular than rice milk is soy milk. In addition to being a safe alternative for those who are lactose intolerant, soy milk is often used by those who want to avoid the excess fat in dairy. When added to coffee, it’s smooth and delicious.
What you get when you order a latte and 74 other ways to answer “How do you like your coffee?”
Cedric Jackson
12.16.19
Coffee has an enormous place in our daily lives and even in our history. Some people might call it the great equalizer. Most of us can’t start our day without a good cup of Joe.
For hundreds of years, people have enjoyed this beverage. Legend has it that it started in Ethiopia, then spread its way throughout Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and Asia before finally making its way to the Americas.
Now, it plays an enormous part in many cultures. Just take the Brazilians who enjoy tiny cups of sweet espresso at all hours of the day. Go to Hong Kong and you might find yourself mixing it with tea. Or walk into a cafe in Paris and you’ll find cafe au lait to enjoy along with a pastry good.
No matter how you take your coffee, you know how important this simple drink is in our lives. Best of all, there are dozens of ways to enjoy this beverage. Maybe you’re a traditionalist who likes it black with no frills. Or perhaps you can’t get enough of chai lattes. If you don’t know how to decipher the java menu at your local cafe, look at this list. Chances are you’ll find something new.
