30+ types of coffee every coffee lover needs to try. The most comprehensive guide out there!

Hey coffee lovers, CoC team is here!

We’ve been thinking for a long time how to create something epic, stunning, interesting and give a lot of value simultaneously. Thus we dare to present here, arguably, the biggest guide on the Internet dedicated to all possible coffee types that exist nowadays. From Espresso and Americano to Frappe and Galao. Never blush again in your favourite coffee shop. We begin our breathtaking journey now. Fasten your seat belts and immerse yourself into a fascinating world of different coffee drinks.

Different Types of Coffee

First of all, let’s make a quick note regarding coffee flavor as this is one of the most important attributes that makes your ‘cup of joy’ so captivating.

Okay, what exactly makes coffee flavor so unique and compelling? In short, coffee beans and coffee roasts.

Types of coffee beans

There are a lot of coffee bean types in the world.  But in essence, all of them can be grouped into two main сamps.

◊ Arabica

◊ Robusta

Arabica beans are saturated with oils, which provide a recognizable taste of coffee. Robusta, in its turn, contains much more caffeine, amino acids, and a high content of chlorogenic acids which provide special astringent bitterness to the beans. Both coffee beans types are basic. Each one is represented by a large variety of blends and brands. They can be mixed in different proportions, creating blends with original taste and aroma, so the richness of the coffee palette is truly boundless. But that’s another story. Now let’s talk a bit about coffee roast types.

Different types of coffee roasts

Roasting is one of the most important processes on the long journey of coffee beans to a cup of coffee. It is a mastery that is fully responsible for revealing the flavor and aromatic properties of coffee beans.

During the roasting process moisture evaporates from beans first and they increase in size. Roasting also causes chemical changes to take place since beans are exposed to very high temperatures. As a result, caffeol is forming, the oil in coffee beans, which is exactly responsible for distinctive coffee flavour and aroma everyone knows. In addition, the bean structure changes, and the essential oils come to the surface.

And don’t forget that each type of coffee is unique and requires an individual approach. Various beans react differently to the roasting process, requiring specific temperatures and cycle times. Only skillful and experienced roasters are able to extract the completeness of taste and uniqueness of flavor from each coffee type.

So, there are 5 main roast types:

1) Light roasts (Cinnamon, New England, Light, Breakfast, Half-city):

The lightest roasting (195-205°C) give the beans light brown color and light coffee flavor. This method of roasting is applicable only for high-quality arabica varieties. Coffee made from light roast beans will give acidity in taste and have a bit watery consistency.

2) Medium roasts (American, Medium brown, City, Brown):

This roasting type is achieved after reaching the heating temperature of 210-220°C. It is brown color with stronger coffee and non-oily surface. Coffee will have a characteristic taste of caramel with a light acidity, sometimes there will be herbal aftertaste.

3) Medium dark roasts (Full city, Vienna, Velvet):

There is an active oils separation, and spots of dark brown color develop on the surface of the beans. The beans acquires slight bitterness in taste, but, as the roast is still medium, it remains a bit sweety.

4) Dark roasts (Espresso, Italian, Continental):

Grains of coffee are shiny and oily, have dark brown color, sometimes almost black. The roaster is heated up to 240°С. The bitterness in the taste of coffee becomes more tangible. Coffee will be with patterns of smoke, burnt and is characterized by flavors of tar and charcoal.

5) Double roasts (French, Spanish, Cuban and Turkish):

The strongest roasting type. It takes beans to the point where they begin to smoke. The color of the beans is almost black. They become very oily. Acidity in taste is completely gone, but the aroma of caramel and smoky notes appear. This roast is optimal for those gourmets who love tart coffee with a long aftertaste.

That was a brief intro to the world of coffee roast types and, obviously, this topic requires way deeper explanation. But it’s another story, so let’s get back to our coffee types!

Various Types of Coffee Drinks

1. ESPRESSO

You’ve heard this word many times, but it’s more than just a “small cup of coffee”. Espresso is a foundation for all coffee drinks. Originally, it goes from Italian and means “pressed-out (coffee)”. It has a distinctive great balanced sourish and bitter taste of pure coffee.

A real espresso is a drink made from filtered water and 7-11 grams of ground coffee in the amount of 25-35 milliliters under a pressure of 9 bar, at a temperature of 88 to 96 degrees Celsius, with 20-30 seconds extraction time. High water pressure allows to extract more flavored substances from ground coffee. Demitasse (cup for serving the espresso) should be filled with 2/3 of total capacity.

Brewed coffee must be topped by a special creamy layer – lightly golden-nut color foam with velvety thick texture, at least 2 mm thick, called “crema”, which is a right sign that coffee is properly prepared. It’s highly appreciated by connoisseurs.

The espresso’s “life” is very short, so it should be prepared and drunken during the first 1.5 to 2 minutes. The best way to drink espresso: drain the drink quickly with a couple of sips after stirring the foam. If a glass of water is served together, take a few sips before drinking your coffee – you will prepare the taste buds on your tongue to feel the rich flavor of espresso. No sugar, please!

2. RISTRETTO

Ristretto has the most saturated coffee taste and was invented by Italians as well. It is also called as “Corto”, “Literally”, “Shrunk” and “Short”. Ristretto is traditionally prepared with the same amount of coffee for a portion (7-11 grams) as espresso, but with twice less water (15-20 ml). For its preparation, ground coffee should be well pressed and extracted at a pressure of 9 bar during 15-20 seconds.

Many people mistakenly believe that ristretto contains too much caffeine, but in reality – it’s not. And here is why: when ground coffee is loaded into a portafilter and extracted during 15 seconds, the first part of that shot is essential oils and salts, which create rich flavor and taste. Caffeine extraction itself starts a bit later. So, contrary to popular belief, there is less caffeine in ristretto than in espresso due to short extraction time.

Ristretto is usually served in a special mini-cup without handles or in an espresso cup, along with a glass of cold water. Drinking water before each sip of coffee allows you to fully enjoy the taste.

In Italy ristretto is considered as the most real coffe of all types, and the person who orders it enjoys the barista’s invariable respect.

3. DOPPIO

In italian “doppio” literally means “double”. Actually, doppio is double shot of espresso. It’s prepared with double portion of ground coffee (14-20 grams) and double portion of water (50-70 ml). The process of making doppio itself doesn’t differ from the process of making espresso: water pressure – 9 bar,  extraction time – 30-40 seconds.

Distinctive feature of the drink is foam (crema). If it is too dark, it means that the brewing time was too long and the coffee will have a burnt flavor. If the crema is excessively light, then the doppio seems to be undercooked and brewing time was too short.

Doppio is a morning drink. It has a well balanced taste and due to longer extraction time and double amount of ground coffee, doppio has high caffeine contents, so it’ll give you double energy charge for the whole day.

Italians often use the word “doppio” as a prefix to other coffee drinks. For example, “doppio-cappuccino”, “doppio-lungo” or “doppio-frappe”. That shows person’s desire to get a double portion of certain coffee type or 2 times stronger drink.

4. LUNGO

Moving down the list of italian coffee types, coffee lungo (prepared according to Italian recipe), at first glance, resembles a familiar espresso. But there is definitely an important difference between them: lungo preparation requires 2 times more water (60-80 ml) and 2 times more time for brewing (50-60 seconds) comparing to espresso. But in both cases the same amount of ground coffee is required (7-11 grams). In english “lungo” means “long” and this drink gets its name from the way it’s made.

It’s difficult to confuse the taste of lungo coffee with something else. It doesn’t have as strong flavor as espresso since it requires more water. At the same time lungo has a characteristic bitterish taste because long extraction time allows to pull more bitterness, essential oils and caffeine out of the ground coffee.

Lungo can be served in 120 ml espresso cups. Traditionally, coffee drinks based on espresso, should be thick-walled, so that it doesn’t allow the coffee to cool down excessively fast.

In Italy – motherland of lungo – this drink is rarely consumed after 11 am, as it is considered to be too strong for daytime drinking. Italians recommend drinking lungos in the morning, espresso – for lunch, ristretto – in the afternoon, thus reducing caffeine consumption during the day.

5. CAFFE CREMA

Caffe Crema comes from Switzerland and it’s a large cup of coffee prepared using the espresso method. In Italian “caffe crema” means “cream coffee” and it’s an incredibly popular drink in Switzerland, Austria and France. In essence, caffe crema is a double portion of espresso topped with dense coffee foam (crema).  By the way, it was a name of espresso in the 1940s and 1950s, due to its thick coffee foam.

For preparation of this drink you’ll need coarser grind coffee. Then brew 6 oz (150 ml) of espresso into the serving cup. Please keep in mind that due to coarser grind coffee, the water will flow faster than in a standard espresso. But, you need to aim to 25 seconds extraction time. Once you get correct amount of coffee, stop the brewing process and make sure that more coffee hasn’t poured into the cup as it might change the flavor of the drink. The hallmark of caffe crema is thick foam on top. For serving you can use cappuccino cup.

Maybe it seems similar to americano or long black, but the main difference between them is in the process of preparation: while americano and long black are diluted with hot water espresso, caffe crema has long brewed espresso, so the flavors are totally different.

6. ESPRESSINO

Espressino is an espresso-based drink with steamed milk and cocoa or Nutella originated from south region of Italy – Puglia. The term “espressinoo” comes from the combination of the words “espresso” and “cappuccino”. It is a relatively new coffee drink, for the first time it appeared in the bars of Puglia in 2003. Presumably, the history of its appearance is as follows: many customers asked for cappuccino in a small cup instead of coffee macchiato or cappuccino since macchiato had too little milk and the cup of cappuccino was too large. So the baristas combined both drinks and invented “espressino”.

As you already understood, for the preparation of espressino you need 1 standard shot of espresso, 85 ml of full-fat milk and 1 tsp cocoa powder (actually amount of cocoa powder depends on your taste – you can add more or less). Baristas from Northern part of Italy serve espressino with 1 tsp of Nutella additionally.

Brewing process is quite easy: before making an espresso shot, steam milk and make sure that it’s not overheated. While brewing the espresso, let the milk ‘sit’ a bit. Put some cocoa powder to the bottom of the serving cup and brew espresso into it, then add steamed milk and spread the remaining cocoa powder on top.

If you’re making Northern espressino – it’s almost the same approach. But Nutella shall be spreaded on the walls of serving cup/glass right before adding the cocoa powder to the bottom of the cup.

This drink is for those who are not ready for an extreme dose of caffeine. If you want something moderately strong and with a light chocolate flavor – order an espressino. Tasty, aromatic and not too strong.

7. CAFE AFFOGATO

Many people not related to Italy believe that affogato is a type of coffee with ice cream. But in reality this is a dessert based on espresso. That’s right – it’s a dessert! In a classic version it’s a scoop of vanilla ice cream (Gelato), which floats in hot espresso shot. Hence, the name of the concoction literally means “drowned”. Don’t confuse affogato with glasse since glasse is made from cold coffee with the addition of an ice cream scoop. Moreover, glasse is a drink, but not a dessert.

Affogato is recognized as the best coffee dessert in the world. It’s all about its unique flavor and taste. It’s a great choice if you’re a sweet lover who wants to get some caffeine dose but with a lot more flavor.

How to make it: first of all, chill the serving glass or cup (usually cappuccino cup is used) and make sure that it’s cold enough to put an ice-cream there. Place an ice-cream into the cup. Brew a standard espresso shot (30-35 ml) right before you’re ready to serve, so that coffee is hot and fresh. Pour the hot espresso into the ice-cream and serve asap.

Additionally, you can add some liquor, cocoa, nuts or chocolate. Such alcohol as “Amaretto”, “Baileys” liqueurs, cognac, rum could clearly reveal the versatility of affogato taste sensations. But you should pay attention to the taste combinations. For instance, rum and cognac harmonize miraculously with chocolate ice cream; “Amaretto” goes well with nuts ice cream; and “Baileys” perfectly accentuates the taste of vanilla ice cream. Each ingredient brings its note to the coffee dessert and makes it taste rich and fragrant.

If you want to make dessert bigger size use the following ratio: 1 espresso : 1 scoop of ice cream. It’s so delicious! Enjoy!

8. CAFE CON HIELO

 “Cafe con hielo” is Spanish for “coffee with ice”. As you may understand, this coffee drink comes from Spain, Valenciana province. It’s particularly popular in hot summer days, when temperature reaches up to 40 degrees Celsius on the streets. That’s why sometimes it’s also called as “Cafe del tiempo” which means “seasonal coffee”.

Actually, cafe con hielo is espresso (one or double shot) served with a glass of ice. You should pour espresso over the ice, and not the other way around. Such an instant preparation will not allow the drink to change the flavor and taste. Sometimes lemon and sugar might be added.

9. CAFE CUBANO

This is a kind of espresso, invented in Cuba, and some people say that real Cafe Cubano can be served only in Cuba. It’s highly popular in South Florida and considered as a superior coffee since it doubles the strength of American one.

Specifically, it is a kind of espresso-based drink that is sweetened with sugar while coffee is brewed. A well-made Cuban coffee is defined by a thick layer of sweet crema (foam) on the top of strong espresso, called espumita. Traditionally, dark roasted coffee beans are used for preparation.

How to make it: use 6-serving stove-top espresso maker and brew a pot of espresso according to manufacturer’s instruction. Put the sugar (1/4 of serving cup) in a large measuring cup and when the coffee just begins to brew, remove it from heat and pour 1 tablespoon of hot espresso into the sugar. Return the espresso maker to the heat. Meanwhile, using a spoon, stir (for about 1 minute) the sugar and espresso until the mixture turns a beige color and most of the sugar starts to melt. Here you got espumita!

Once the espresso has been brewed, pour it into the sugar mixture and stir to make sure all sugar is dissolved. Pour it all in espresso cup, ensuring that creamy foam is on the top of the cup, and serve it immediately! Drink it in the morning to wake up and feel the taste of real Cuba!

10. CAFE BOMBON

As you may notice from the name of this coffee – it’s originated from Spain, namely Valencia, and literally means “confectionery coffee”. It consists of espresso and condensed milk in equal proportion. Yeah, Spaniards have a sweet tooth! They’re often enjoying this drink as a dessert. So, please be prepared to consume up to 300 calories at one time!

For preparation of bombon coffee you need: 2 oz espresso, 2 oz sweetened condensed milk, 2 oz whipping cream.

Whip cream with the help of hand mixer until peaks form. Brew standard espresso in any available device you have. Pour the condensed milk into the glass (usually bombon is served in irish-coffee glass). Please, make sure that glass walls are clean. Add espresso to the glass slowly and carefully, so that it creates 2 layers and doesn’t mix with condensed milk. Anyway, milk is heavier than coffee, so it will fall down to the bottom. See those 2 beautiful layers? Great! You have left only to top it whipped cream and add chocolate or cinnamon powder, if you like.

As already mentioned, it’s better to serve bombon in clear glass to show all the contrasting layers. It looks beautiful with small cookies beside. Don’t forget to serve the spoon, stir the coffee well with condensed milk and foam before drinking and enjoy this delicious treat!

But if you’re not about sugary drinks, just skip it.

11. ESPRESSO ROMANO

Interestingly, this coffee type is just a regular espresso with lemon juice or zest. We’re not 100% sure if it can be considered as an italian coffee recipe… Several of our friends from Italy were surveyed.  But, frankly, they have never heard about it. Nevertheless coffee with lemon juice is highly popular across the globe, especially in US. It is also proven that coffee with citrus taste has a positive effect on your nervous system.

Preparation of espresso romano is rather simple and quick. Brew 1-2 shots of espresso and serve with a lemon twist. Some baristas squeeze a bit of lemon juice into the serving cup (demitasse is preferable) or just rub the lemon around the rim of the cup. Citrus aspect brightens the espresso’s sweetness so that sugar is not required.

Nothing to say more about romano coffee – try it and share your impression.

12. ESPRESSO MACCHIATO

That’s also an espresso-based drink. But please don’t confuse espresso macchiato and latte macchiato – it’s totally different when it comes to taste and ingredients ratio! In italian “macchiato” means “marked”. So, basically, espresso macchiato is an espresso marked with a dollop of foamed milk. But in case of latte macchiato it’s vice versa: steamed milk is marked with espresso.

Since you know how to make the traditional espresso and froth milk, you can easily prepare macchiato by yourself. You’ll need a shot of espresso (30 ml) and 15 ml of milk. Make the espresso shot in espresso machine or stovetop espresso maker – doesn’t really matter. Pour the prepared espresso into the prewarmed serving cup. Than steam milk in a tall metal container until the milk has increased in volume and foam is appeared. The perfect temperature for steamed milk is 60C. Add milk to espresso and top it with a dollop of milky foam. Serve the drink immediately until it’s hot!

Ideal serving: 90 ml glass or demitasse cup.

13. CAFE CON LECHE

This exactly how Spaniards like to start the day! Actually, not only start, this coffee is an essential part of lunch, afternoon meal and even after dinner it’s a great drink to fuel a long night out. Literally “cafe con leche” means “coffee with milk”. It’s quite simple, but so delicious. But it’s not usual americano with milk or latte.

“Cafe” is traditional espresso shot, “leche” is steamed (not frothy) milk which has its own distinct flavor. Details are important, so make sure that you use dark roasted (French one, for example) and freshly grounded coffee beans. Also, we recommend to use 2% low-fat milk.

So, how it’s done: firstly, brew 1 espresso shot. For example, you may use your stove-top espresso maker. Place 7-11 g of coffee to the bottom of your device, add filtered water (30-35 ml) and heat until the water boils up into the upper chamber and it fills up. When the top of espresso maker is full of coffee, it’s ready and you can turn off the stove. Meanwhile, steam the milk or heat it up: put the same portion of milk into the pan and use stove, you can even use your microwave. Wait until boiling point, simmer for a few minutes and turn if off (the first larger bubble breaking on surface), then reduce heat to barely simmering. Simmer gently for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until coffee is done. Pour the coffee into the cup and add steamed milk. Add sugar (optional) and serve with small cookies.

14. CORTADO

Coffee cortado is an unusually tasty and delicate drink made from coffee and milk. This drink is highly popular in its homeland – in Latin America and Spain. Some people say that it was invented in one of coffeeshops in Madrid, but, frankly, we don’t know for sure. In Spanish word “cortado” means “to cut”, which in our case means the milk helps to ‘cut’ the acidity of the espresso.

However, do not be surprised if, for example, in Cuba, a waiter does not understand your request to bring cortado coffee, because in fact Cuban name of cortado coffee is “cortadito”; in Portugal it is called “garoto”, in France it is known as “cafe noisette”.

Since cortado is one of the varieties of coffee with milk there is the question how does it differ from espresso macchiato or gallon or latte. Let’s figure it out!

Cortado is prepared from evaporated milk and espresso in a ratio of 1:1, unlike macchiato, which requires whipped in lush foam milk and espresso. In latte the milk content is several times bigger than the amount of coffee. Gallon, perhaps, is the closest relative of cortado, but for its preparation you need espresso and milk in ratio 1:3. Hopefully it was helpful!

Cortado itself is made from 2 oz espresso, 1-2 oz evaporated milk and not more than 1 tsp sugar (optional, but this is classic recipe). For serving you’ll need a well-heated glass with a capacity of 150-200 ml.

Pour ready-made espresso into serving glass and dissolve sugar there. With the help of milk frother and pitcher whip the evaporated milk and put it gently with a spoon on top of espresso. Don’t mix the layers.

By the way, you can prepare evaporated milk by yourself. Mix fresh milk and sour cream in 5:1 ratio. Pour the mixture into the ovenware or clay pot and put it in an oven with a temperature of 80°C for 1-2 hours. When it’s ready, carefully wrap it with a towel and put it in a warm place for several hours. That’s it! After cooling down and whipping you can add it to coffee. A real cortado must have a rich, delicate taste with sweet aftertaste, replaced by coffee bitterness. Layers should have a smooth transition from a beautiful creamy-milk color to a rich black coffee color.

15. CORTADITO

Cortadito is a Cuban brother of cortado. Actually, this is kind of mix of cortado and cafe cubano.  So, first of all, you should brew cafe cubano (check the recipe in par. 9 of our guide) and add warm evaporated milk to coffee in ratio 1:1. Then try to experiment with coffee and sugar ratio, so that you can get a nice strong drink which is sweet and not bitter!

16. PICCOLO LATTE

That’s a kind of miniature latte. Word “piccolo” is “small” from Italian. This drink has grown in popularity over the last 10 years and originated from Sydney, Australia. Piccolo latte was invented specifically for those people who tried to reduce their milk intake and therefore wanted coffee with less milk comparing to their regular flat white or latte.

Also there was a legend, which said that the piccolo recipe was developed by the baristas and coffee beans roster, who wanted to check how harmoniously the taste of strong espresso could be combined with the tenderness of usual milk.

So, piccolo latte has a very strong but softened espresso taste due to the steamed milk and foam in it. It is usually served in glass cup (90 ml), preferably not demitasse since this is a kind of latte drink. For preparation you need to brew 20 ml of ristretto and steam 60 ml of milk. Pour the coffee into the cup and add milk, spread the foam on top and it’s coffee brake, buddy.

17. CAPPUCCINO

We think that there is no such person in the world who has never tried cappuccino. The word “cappuccino”, as well as drink, originated from Italy and refers to friars (yes, not to coffee), namely Capuchin friars, because of the similar color of cappuccino drink and Capuchin’s apparel – the robe. That’s a coffee drink based on espresso, milk and a beautiful milk froth on top. Italians drink cappuccino mainly for breakfast.

The most essential component of cappuccino is the correctly foamed milk, which is poured to the espresso. To make the foam perfect, the temperature of the milk we take for whipping should be +4°C. It is better to use pasteurized milk with 2.5-3.5% fat contents.

Cappuccino consists of 1/3 of espresso, 1/3 of hot milk and 1/3 of milk foam. The standard portion of cappuccino is five to seven ounces or 150-180 ml. Usually, it’s served in pre-warmed cappuccino cups with thick walls and rounded edges which allow to keep the heat well.

How to make cappuccino?

1. Pour 4 ounces of cold milk in the pitcher. Foam the milk with steaming wand or cappuccinatore until it doubles in volume. But do not let the milk to start boiling.
2. Pull a double shot of espresso into a serving cup.
3. Pour the milk into the coffee. Direct the stream of milk to the center of the cup. If the milk is foamed correctly, it will settle out of the foam and separate layers of foam, milk and espresso will be created. Foam should have a thick, homogeneous, velvety consistency. This milk foam on top helps to keep the drink hot longer.

To check if cappuccino is prepared correctly, you can put a spoonful of sugar on top of the foam in a cup: if the foam is frothed well, the sugar should stay on the surface.

Actually, there is no need to add sugar in well-made cappuccino, as it’s self-sufficient and tasty enough without sugar due to the natural sweetness of milk (which it acquires during heating process at 60-65°C).

In Italy, cappuccino is usually served with a cookie or cornetto. Sometimes baristas like to do latte art on it.

18. FLAT WHITE

“Flat White” is a variation of coffee with milk. This drink appeared only in the 80s of the 20th century, but it quickly gained popularity and driven out even latte and cappuccino of the menu of coffee shops and best restaurants.

The drink was developed by barista and co-owner of the DKD coffee shop in Auckland – Derek Townsend (actually there are still disputes between Australia and New Zealand about the origin of flat white, but that’s not so important at the moment). Following New Zealand and Australia, flat white conquered Britain, U.S. and then all other countries with high coffee culture.

For the first time flat white was an innovative drink, which could be found only in the hipster coffee houses. These days it is a modern mainstream that has even penetrated such famous coffee shops networks as “Starbucks”, “Costa Coffee” and “Pret a Manger”, where it is usually served in a small cup.

Flat white is one of the favorite drinks of professional coffee baristas, as it allows to reveal the real taste of high-quality roasted coffee beans in a milk drink. For preparation of flat white they usually use the best sorts of coffee with medium roast to exclude bitterness and heavy viscosity of burnt coffee.

Standard recipe of flat white is: 60 ml of espresso and 120 ml of steamed milk.

Pour espresso to the serving cup. Meanwhile, froth the milk. Here pay attention to the foam. The best foam is obtained without boiling milk, at a temperature of 60-70C. In this case, the barista’s task is not to allow large bubbles to appear and to achieve smooth and velvety foam. Such foam structure provides it with a flat surface, which justifies the name of the drink “flat white” and differentiates the drink from cappuccino and latte. Add frothed milk to espresso and make sure that drink is topped with the foam not more than 5 mm. Latte art can be applied optionally, but baristas like to practice drawing interesting patterns on a neat flat foam of flat white.

Flat white is served in a medium-sized ceramic cup (220-250 ml) with thick walls. A special cup for flat white is usually low and wide, which gives baristas a large foam surface for experimenting with latte art.

Frankly, that’s our favorite drink! Hope you’ll like it too!

19. CAFE AU LAIT

If you want to feel the real taste of Paris, Cafe Au Lait is exactly what you need! And yes, you’re right, that’s kind of French coffee with milk.

Cafe Au Lait is an excellent option for a breakfast. A lot of french people drink it with fresh croissant, dipping it into the large cup of coffee. French coffee with milk is known for its strong coffee taste and soft aftertaste.

It’s easy to prepare, but technique is a bit complicated. But you don’t need to go to France to try it. We’ll teach you how to make it!

Main ingredients are: coffee beans (French roast is preferable), steamed milk.

Proportions: equal amount of coffee and milk.

Preparation: brew strong coffee using your coffee machine, at the same time, heat up equal amount of milk (don’t let it boil!) and make sure that there is almost no foam – only small bubbles on top. You can use steam cappuccinatore for it – it’ll not allow you to boil the milk and burn it. Use whole milk to get an original, rich taste of coffee. Mix them up: better to pour both milk and coffee to the serving cup at the same time, but if for some reason you’re not able to do it – just add milk to the cup of coffee; stir it and serve hot.

French people serve it in a small cup, but it’s up to you to decide your size and volume of your Cafe Au Lait!

20. BREVE

Breve is a creamy american version of latte. Its fans appreciate the softness, aroma and lasting creamy aftertaste of their favorite drink.

Basically, breve is a strong espresso mixed with steamed half-and-half. With observance of proper proportions – 50/25/25 – we get a soft, not strong creamy coffee. Unlike latte, the volume of one breve portion is not so big – 120 ml. In Italian “breve” means “short”.

So, for standard portion of breve you need: 2 shots of espresso (60 ml), 30 ml of whole milk and 30 ml of cream.

First of all, steam and froth half-and-half, so that it gets good foam, but please make sure you haven’t burned it (that’ll spoil the real taste of breve). Meanwhile, pull espresso in a serving cup. Gently pour steamed half-and-half to the espresso and spoon the foam on top. And here is you breve coffee!

Breve should be served in ceramic cups with thick walls. Ideally, cup should be preheated – it will help to fully reveal the taste of coffee. No need to add sugar, as breve has decadently rich taste and sweet enough on its own due to milk and cream.

This is ideal drink for evening with your friends.

21. RED EYE

Red eye is coffee, which is highly appreciated by strong drinks (coffee drinks, of course!) lovers. It is prepared by adding one shot of espresso into the cup of filtered coffee. Originally it comes from the United States, but it quickly gained incredible popularity among North Americans.

The name of coffee is associated with the fact that the drink itself contains an extremely high dose of caffeine, sufficient to key up even a very tired person (with red eyes after sleepless night or with jetlag). Red eye is also called as “train wreck” or “shot in the dark”.

For preparation of red eye only high-quality coffee beans of dark roasts and fine grind should be used. Make a regular drip coffee and add one shot of espresso, stir it and serve. Traditional red eye recipe doesn’t include sugar, but you can add it to your taste. One portion of red eye should not exceed 150 ml and daily intake should not be more than two cups as it contents a lot of caffeine, which is not so good for those who have problems with the cardiovascular system.

So, if you need to wake up after big night out – that’s your choice!

22. BLACK EYE

That’s the elder brother of red eye and another strong coffee with extreme dose of caffeine. Black eye is a combination of drip coffee and double shot of espresso.

The name of this drink goes from the color of coffee after adding double shot espresso (it’s almost black, really!). Some people say it’s because of color of dark circles under eyes of people who need and order this drink (ha-ha).

So, as you may understood, the preparation of black eye is the same as red eye, but with 2 espresso shots.

Be careful of high dose of caffeine!

23. DEAD EYE

Explanations are not required, we guess! That’s the father of two previous drinks – red eye and black eye. It contains cup of brewed coffee and triple espresso! The name of this drink speaks for itself – it is for those who almost dead and need full charge.

Drink it in only in urgent cases. Remember, 4 shots of espresso together with drip coffee can stop your heart!

24. LAZY EYE

If you want to reduce your caffeine intake, but still want to feel strong coffee taste – order lazy eye coffee! This is decaffeinated drip coffee with a shot of espresso. We’re not sure that it is ordered too often, because you either want caffeine or you don’t. But anyway such drink exists, so there is a demand.

Frankly, we cannot find the history of “lazy eye” name creation, so if you know, please with us in comments!

25. TURKISH COFFEE

The African continent is recognized as the birthplace of coffee, but the traditional way of making coffee drink is considered to come from Turkey. The first jezve (Turkish coffee pot) was invented in this country, and the attitude of the locals to the black coffee drink is so reverential, that it even has been raised to the status of national treasures.

It blows away with its variety of taste – from syrupy to bitter and full. Turkish coffee is the classic recipe, which is simple to prepare, but requires a lot of attention.

Here are a few aspects, which should be considered for Turkish coffee preparation (without it the drink won’t get those traditional national spirits):

• Choose the highest quality coffee beans. It can be blends of large Arabica and Robusta beans, which are harvested from red berries and which were fully ripened in natural environment.
• Take the finest grind size only.
• Use clear, purified, soft water without heavy metals contents.
• Choose the volume of jezve depending on quantity of cups of coffee you’re going to prepare.

Main ingredients of Turkish coffee are: coffee, water and sugar (if you wish).

Turkish coffee is prepared at a rate of 1 tbsp of coffee per 50-60 ml of water. First of all, pour the water into the pot, add sugar, if necessary, warm it up, and only then add ground coffee. Mix the ingredients with a spoon with a long shank and wait until the foam is risen for the first time (don’t let it boil!). At this moment, it is important to remove the jezve from the stove, remove the foam into the cups and warm up the contents of the coffee pot again. Repeat it 2 to 6 times.

Serve it in a small re-warmed cup with big handle and with a glass of cold water.

To be honest this drink is not to everyone’s taste. It is always very strong, full, astringent and with bitterness. If you drink it right away, you can clearly feel the coffee dust in your mouth. However, it perfectly rejuvenates you, and if you drink water between sips of coffee, its taste becomes more tangible and bright each time.

26. AMERICANO

Americano – is an espresso diluted with hot water; unlike lungo, it doesn’t require long extraction time. As a result, you get the same volume as drip coffee, but with the aroma of espresso.

Why “americano”? Well, there are different stories, but here is one of them. During the Second World War, american soldiers while staying in Italy were looking for the favourite “cup of joe” they used to drink at home. Therefore some local baristas, in attempt to meet soldiers’ expectations, tried to make the similar coffee drink but with the help of espresso coffee machine. As a result, a completely new and very popular nowadays drink was developed.

So, let’s check out how to make americano!

First of all, make sure you have good quality espresso coffee beans (seriously, choose espresso beans to get real americano!). The beans should be finely ground. Prepare hot water (around 80-90C). Typically americano is 6 oz: 4 oz. hot water / 2 oz espresso (but you can increase ratio acc. to your taste and preferences).  Often coffee shops just pour hot water into a double espresso to fill the mug and call it americano.

Pour shot of espresso into serving cup and dilute it with hot water. In this case, the crema on the top of the drink will be completely destroyed. Actually, crema in americano, prepared in this way, is not considered as mandatory.

Also we know about one more way of americano preparation: some European countries serve espresso with glass of hot water, so that you can mix it by yourself and proportions are up to you.

Traditionally, americano is served black, but if you like sugar or milk, fill your boots!

Many people like the taste of americano due the fact that it is less strong, full, has lighter texture and more watery comparing to traditional espresso. So if you want something light – try americano.

27. LONG BLACK

A long black coffee is very similar to americano. But the main difference is that espresso is poured over hot water. Thus, the foam remains on top, which is the hallmark of long black. Ratio of espresso and water is the same as americano (2 oz : 4 oz accordingly). A cup with hot water can be placed directly under the dispenser of coffee machine and espresso is poured into it. If the steps are done vice-versa – the crema will be destroyed and it won’t be the real long black coffee anymore. Remember: water first, espresso – second!

Many connoisseurs say that the first sip of long black has a softer and more saturated taste comparing to americano.

Motherland of long black coffee is Australia and New Zealand.

In general, there are a lot of controversies about americano and long black in the coffee world. Some specialists say that in many countries, most coffee drinks are usually prepared on the basis of one shot of espresso, but the main feature of long black is considered a double portion of espresso (doppio). Others claim that the order of pouring espresso into water or water in espresso is more important in preparation. There is still no common ground even in the homeland of the drink. But we belong to those who think that sequence is actually more important.

Anyway, try and let us know if you noticed any difference in a taste of long black and americano!

28. VIENNA

This coffee is originated from Vienna, Austria and it was developed in XVII century. Actually, it has some historical background, but it’s quite boring, so let’s get to vienna coffee itself.

To soften the inherent bitterness and astringency of a drink (made from natural coffee beans), the vienna coffee recipe always includes the milk component. It may be full-fat milk or cream. The third ingredient is sugar. This is a good choice if you need something strong and sweet at the same time.

In widely known american and english versions of vienna coffee, the drink is decorated with a fair portion of whipped cream, but originally milk was used instead of cream in the classic recipe. Frankly, there are so many variations of this coffee drink preparation across different countries. But let’s take a look at its traditional recipe.

Prepare double shot of espresso, add sugar to your taste. Whip (as much as possible!) 30 ml of cream and spoon it on top of the espresso. If you want, you can sprinkle coffee with grated orange peel, chocolate, chopped nuts or cinnamon. And vienna coffee is ready!

It’s often served in 150 ml cup with small cookie. Do not drink it fast, try to enjoy with every sip. Don’t forget that Austrians prefer to drink this coffee in a cosy atmosphere!

29. MOCHA

Mocha is not only a type of arabica, it is also the name of a popular coffee drink. There is no clear idea why this coffee drink is called mocha, but we heard that it’s related to Mocha arabica beans due to it’s distinctive chocolate taste.

The peculiarity of mocha coffee drink is usage of at least three ingredients: coffee, milk and chocolate. This combination gives it a unique taste, even if you cook it with regular arabica. However, you need to know a few nuances to prepare it properly.

First of all, pay attention to the coffee beans you choose. Better to use arabica coffee beans for mocha preparation, but it’s not critical. Another thing is important: coffee has to be aromatic and of high quality.

Also, ideal mocha has a layered structure. Therefore, pour the ingredients into a cup or an irish glass in the order indicated in the recipe, and be careful not to mix the layers.

So, to make mocha you need: 60 ml of espresso, 50 ml of skimmed milk, 60 ml/g of chocolate (it can be mocha syrup, cocoa powder, dark or milk chocolate), sugar and whipped cream (both to taste). We’ll explain how to make it with milk chocolate.

Prepare espresso in coffee machine or on stove-top, but try to make so that it’s ready in almost the same time as other components and it’s not cool down. Add sugar to espresso to your taste (we recommend to consider the other ingredients before this step, because some of the, can be quite sweet (in case if you add syrup, for example)). Heat up milk, but don’t let it boil (foam is undesirable in mocha) and try not to burn it.

Melt 50 g of chocolate (any method is ok), make chocolate curls from remaining 10 g of chocolate. Whip cream.

And now it’s time to put it all together! Pour the hot chocolate into irish glass or mug, than add espresso. Pull milk carefully on espresso, garnish it with whipped cream and chocolate curls. That’s it!

30. BORGIA

Coffee borgia’s birthplace is sunny Italy. Traditional Italian coffee requires coffee beans of dark and double roasts, almost black color and, as a result, classic Italian black coffee is rather bitter. To reduce bitterness in coffee, Italians began to add chocolate and cream, that’s exactly how “Borgia” drink appeared.

As mentioned, the specialty of this drink is in coffee beans of strong roasting. Under the exposure of high temperature, sugar and essential oil appear on the surface of coffee beans, so that it creates clearly noticeable bittersweet and rich taste. It’s so called Italian roast.

Traditionally, for preparation of borgia dark chocolate is used. But those who has sweet tooth can try to make coffee based on other types of chocolate (milk, white or even chocolate with a soft filling).

And the main highlight of the drink, undoubtedly, is grated orange rind.

To prepare borgia coffee you need to pour 60 ml espresso into 250 ml cup, add equal portion of hot chocolate to it. Than spoon the whipped cream on top and garnish with grated orange rind. It’s very easy to prepare borgia even at home.

BTW, this drink is quite high-calorie and well invigorating due to strong coffee contents. So, Italians prefer to drink it in the morning. If you want to enjoy borgia in the evening, just brew less strong coffee, but in this case it will lose its traditional flavor.

Borgia is served in a high cup or glass (highball, collins, hurricane), with up to 300 ml in volume. Don’t forget to serve a long handled spoon for cream or stirring coffee.

31. LATTE

Latte is one of the most famous drinks all over the world. It is originated from Italy and literally means “milk”. But it’s not fair to consider this cocktail as an ordinary coffee with milk, because it is a noble combination of espresso, milk and milk foam. Latte is amazing due to both its taste and appearance: it’s often served in a transparent high glass in order to showcase all its beauty. But the classic recipe still advises to serve it in a large thick-walled cup.

Latte is often compared to a french cafe au lait (coffee with milk), even though for the preparation of the latter, americano or regular coffee (drip or filtered) is often used. But the base for latte is always espresso. Many people unknowingly confuse latte with cappuccino, but the difference is in foam contents and its structure. Also cappuccino contains more caffeine.

So, to prepare latte you’ll need: 50 ml of espresso and 150 ml of whole milk (we recommend 2% fat contents, as it tastes much better in latte). Sugar and cinnamon are optional.

Before we start, we’d like to share some secrets of delicious latte preparation:

• Use fresh grounded coffee (if not – the drink won’t be fragrant enough).
• Coffeemakers recommend to use robusta coffee beans for making lattes, as it contains more caffeine and tastes stronger than arabica. The contrast of bitter espresso and delicate foam makes coffee latte so unique and charming.
• Milk foam for latte should be rather dense, it’s so called microfoam. It is easy to get by whipping whole milk. Also thick foam allows to create different patterns using cinnamon or grated chocolate on top of the drink. This is called latte art.

So, let’s get back to our preparation: heat your milk up to a temperature of 65 degrees Celsius (do not boil it!). Brew espresso. Meanwhile, whip the milk so that its consistency resembles thick sour cream. You can use cappuccinatore or blender. Pour milk into the serving cup. Carefully pull coffee in the milk and top it with as much milk foam as you like. Due to difference in temperatures of milk and espresso, layers can be visible, so make sure that espresso is hot. Garnish drink with cinnamon or use latte art and serve it!

Nowadays cafes offer a lot syrups for latte, so you can choose whatever you want to improve your drink to your taste. Please let us know which you like the most!

32. CA PHE SUA DA

This coffee drink’s homeland is Vietnam, which is the second in the world (after Brazil) producer and supplier of coffee beans. The taste of vietnamese coffee is intense, and the smell is unforgettable. That’s why it’s not surprising that people who once tried it refuse to drink something else.

In vietnamese “ca phe sua da” means “coffee, milk, ice”. Yes, you’ve heard it, it’s ice coffee! In particular, this is espresso with sweetened condensed milk and ice cubes. This combination creates perfect balance of flavors.

This drink was invented in XIX century in Vietnam, when French colonists introduced coffee to locals. Since that time coffee was adopted according to the taste of different regions of Vietnam. Due to the fact that it was quite difficult to get fresh milk in Vietnam, people started to add condensed milk to a dark roast coffee.

That’s all about history. Let’s move on to the preparation. Usually, vietnamese ground coffee of dark roast is used (2-3 tbsp). If you’re following Vietnamese tradition, you need to use phin for coffee brewing – this is kind of Vietnamese variation French press. It’s a small metal cup with perforated filter on the bottom. Put this metal cup on top of serving cup with already added sweetened condensed milk there (3 tbsp). Place ground coffee on the bottom of metal cup, press it with filter and add hot water to fill up whole cup. The brewed coffee will drip into the serving cup. It’ll take some time (up to 5 minutes), but it worth it – you’ll get incredible flavour! Stir coffee and milk, pour the ice over the coffee and it’s done.

Some cafes prepare it in different way – they put ice, condensed milk and coffee to the blender to froth the drink a bit and serve it with foam which appeared during blending.

Usually ca phe sua da is served in a glass with straw.

That’s perfect drink for sultry days! But be careful – vietnamese coffee is quite strong due its special brewing process.

Сa phe sua da became a hallmark of Vietnamese cuisine already, same as pho bo soup. So, don’t forget to try this drink when you’re in Vietnam!

33. GALAO

Galao is a coffee drink from Portugal. The Portuguese are coffee nation. They love coffee, appreciate it and understand its taste. Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, Sao Tome and Principe are former Portuguese colonies, so the quality standards for coffee beans in Portugal are very high.

The most popular coffee with milk in Portugal is called “galao”. That’s a cross between regular coffee with milk and latte. It is always served in glass cups. Galao also perfectly complements the taste of pasties de nata – traditional Portugese custard tarts.

Basically, Galao coffee is espresso with frothy milk. Depending on the proportions of the ingredients, there are several types of this delicate and delicious drink:

1 – classic galao: consists of 4 parts of frothed milk added to 1 part of espresso.

2 – light galao: here the proportions of espresso and milk are 1: 5.

3 – dark galao: ratio of espresso and milk is 1: 3.

4 – half milk: consists of equal parts of coffee and milk.

It is recommended to use a blend of finely ground, well-roasted coffee beans of high-quality arabica and robusta for preparation of classic Portuguese galao.

We suppose it’s enough words about the drink, so it is better to try it once. Let’s start making a classic gallon!

You’ll need: 2 tbsp of ground coffee, 35 ml of water, milk – 100 ml, sugar – to taste.

Prepare the espresso shot in coffee machine or in stove-top espresso maker. Combine milk with sugar in a pan and heat it up to 70 degrees Celsius. Forth the milk. We recommend to use milk with 2.5% fat contents at least as it affects the taste of the drink, as well as the stability and texture of the milk froth. Pour the espresso into serving glass, add frothed milk and serve.

34. FRAPPE

Frappe (from French “frapper” – to beat, hit) is a classic way of serving alcohol beverages. Liqueurs, creams, i.e. strong alcoholic drinks containing sugar are served in an old-fashioned glass, filled to the top with crushed ice. A portion of the drink, usually not exceeding 50-60 ml, is poured onto the ice on top and thoroughly mixed.

In more general interpretation, frappe is any drink based crushed ice instead of water. Next, we will call it drinks, which are based on espresso and ice.

Coffee frappe is quite young drink. Therefore, there is no traditional, orthodox recipe. It is rather a “fusion” drink, which everyone prepares in his own way.

Common frappe recipe includes the following essential ingredients:

• Doppio (double espresso from 14 g of finely ground coffee and 50-60 ml of water);
• Cold milk (3.0-3.5% fat) – 100 ml;
• Ice cubes – 3-5 pieces.

Frappe allows to use the widest range of additives: chocolate, ice cream, cream, honey, nuts and different syrups. You should add it to your taste.

Put all ingredients, except ice, in a blender and mix at low speed. Then add ice and crush at reduced speed. Blend it all until it is foamy at maximum speed. Serve in an Irish glass or a tall glass for cocktails, always with a straw. You can add whipped cream or ice cream on top, if you want.

Frappe is a great option to get refreshed in hot summer days!

35. MAZAGRAN

Mazagran was developed in 1840 in Algeria, which was a French colony at that time, and was named after Mazagran fortress. Since that time it was adopted in different European countries, but the most popular it became in Portugal.

Basically, mazagran is a refreshing concoction made of espresso or french press, lemon, brown sugar, ice, mint (optionally) and rum (optionally). Usually it is served in tall glass.

Mazagran reminds coffee lemonade a bit.

So, for preparation you need to brew double shot of espresso or 60 ml of black coffee from your french press, add 1-3 tbsp of brown sugar there. Let it cool down a bit. Meanwhile, put the ice cubes in the serving glass. You can add one shot of rum at this step, if you want. Squeeze half a lemon and pour its juice into the glass with ice. Add espresso and stir. You can garnish it with a slice of lemon and mint leaves and serve.

Hope, it’ll be one of your summer favs!

36. IRISH COFFEE

Irish coffee is an irish drink that will perfectly warm you up in a cold evening and will delight you with excellent taste. The creator of the recipe for this drink is the chef of one of the Irish airports – Joe Sheridan. While working at the bar of the Irish International Airport Shannon, in one winter day he added whiskey to coffee in order to warm up the passengers who arrived from the US. When grateful guests asked the name of this coffee, Joseph replied that it was irish coffee. That’s how it was invented, actually.

Over the years, the recipe of Irish coffee has been modified, and now the drink is a symbiosis of coffee, whiskey and thick delicate cream. We think it became more charming and cozy due to this modifications!

The recipe is quite simple and will not require a lot of time and efforts for preparation. But there are some nuances that you need to know if you are going to make irish coffee:

• Traditionally, better to use irish whiskey for its preparation. It is believed that originally Jameson whiskey was used to make irish coffee.
• According to the original recipe, coffee is brewed with the help of a French press, but not an espresso machine as many cafes do nowadays.
• Use pre-warmed irish glass for serving.
• Do not stir irish coffee before drinking. It is also wrong to serve this drink with a straw – if you start drinking through a straw, you can drink only one particular layer. Drink it from the glass itself.

So, for traditional irish coffee you’ll need: 20-25 ml of whiskey, 120 ml of freshly brewed coffee, whipped cream, sugar syrup or 2 tbsp of brown sugar.

Pre-warm glass and add sugar or sugar syrup there. Brew coffee and combine it with sugar in glass, stir it until sugar is dissolved. Pour whiskey into this mixture and stir thoroughly again. Whip the cream slightly and pout it over the back side of spoon carefully to the glass.

Enjoy Irish coffee during cold autumn and winter evenings!

Phew, it was a long ride and we’ve covered a lot during our coffee marathon. Now it’s your turn our lovely coffee lover! What is your best type of coffee? Do you prefer Arabica or Robusta? Espresso? Americano? Or maybe Frappe?