26/07/2017 - Following the trend Down Under, the UK is no longer a nation of strictly tea drinkers.

Maybe it’s got something to do with the spiffing array of different coffee drinks.

The key to making your own bounty of coffees at home starts with a good espresso. You can then use them as the base to build any of the below classics.

LATTE

An espresso topped with steamed milk.

A caffè latte means “coffee and milk” in Italian, it’s a very milky coffee with less foam than a cappuccino that tends to be made with a double shot of espresso and is most commonly served in a glass with a handle. 

The latte is thought to have originated in California, created in the 1950s by Lino Meiorin, one of the owners of the famous Caffe Mediterraneum in Berkeley. It was then made popular in the early 1980s by the Seattle Coffee Company. Its popularity has since soared. The drink tends to be favoured by women, but men are also allowed to partake!

No syrup or sugar is needed, as the coffee will taste naturally sweet served with milk at the right temperature. 

CAPPUCCINO

An espresso topped with steamed milk and a dense layer of micrO 15mm thick. Garnished with a sprinkle of cocoa.

Cappuccino means “little cap” or “little hood” in Italian. Most likely an old wives’ tale, but it is said that the Capuchin Friars Minor – an order of monks in the Catholic church – were the inspiration for the drink’s name (their shaved heads and hooded cowls were said to resemble the caramel coffee ring and white foam).

The cappuccino embodied the second wave coffee scene that dominated UK high streets from the 1990s onwards, thanks to many well know coffee chains. A cappuccino contains less milk than a latte, made up of roughly one-third coffee, one-third silky, creamy milk, and one-third quite foamy milk. Made with single or double shots of coffee, and traditionally served in ceramics. 

Adding the chocolate on top of the espresso shot before the milk creates less mess and looks amazing when pouring.

 

AMERICANO OR LONG BLACK

Two-thirds hot water with a double ristretto (a strong, small espresso) poured over the top.

The term “caffè Americano” is simply Italian for “American coffee”. Traditionally in the US, a mug of coffee from a coffee filter pot is the common beverage, as opposed to the smaller cups enjoyed by Europeans.

The best way to make a large black coffee from an espresso is to dilute it with hot water, which is what American soldiers supposedly did in Italy during the Second World War – hence the name Americano. The drink is popular in the US. In New Zealand and Australia, it is known as a long black.

MACCHIATO

An espresso with a dash of foam.

Macchiato, is an espresso marked with a small amount of milk (“macchiato” is the Italian word for “stained” or “spotted”). The Italian macchiato appears to be identical to the Spanish cortado.

Popular in Italy, a macchiato isn’t always necessarily on the menu, as it’s part of every good coffee shop. It is served in a glass or ceramics, as either a single or double, depending on strength preference.

Again, a coffee chain macchiato is not the same as a ‘true’ macchiato as it’s often more like a latte with sugar-rich add-ons.

 

MOCHA 

Chocolate powder added to an espresso, topped with steamed milk and garnished with a sprinkle of cocoa.

The mocha is an American invention, inspired by the Turin coffee beverage bicerin, which is espresso, drinking chocolate and whole milk served in layers. In Italy or France, it is referred to as a mocha latte, not caffé mocha, as we’re more used to. A mocha is quite sweet, yet still strong in caffeine – it is basically a latte with chocolate, and traditionally served in a glass.

Bearing in mind that milk and coffee are naturally sweet together, it’s best to only use a teaspoon of chocolate in your mocha.

FLAT WHITE

An espresso topped with steamed milk.

The flat white is an iconic drink that seems to represent the current third wave coffee scene. The drink of the moment, it is everywhere in London. Invented in Australia in the 1970s and developed in New Zealand in the 1980s, the flat white is favoured not only by hipsters, coffee snobs and coffee experts, but also by people who prefer a stronger cup of joe.

Typically served in small ceramics, it is different to a cappuccino in that it has a higher coffee-to-milk ratio, and the milk is silky and textured as opposed to frothy.

There is no such thing as a large flat white – it is a flat white because it has less milk and foam to allow some of the flavours to come through, yet remain a strong cup of coffee.