Most people don’t understand the difference between common coffee drinks, which may cause them to avoid places like cafes and coffee shops. Keep reading, and by the end of this article, not only will you be fluent in the language of coffee- You’ll be able to help other people understand, too.
The Roasts
Blonde Roast- blonde coffee beans are roasted for less time than both medium roasts and dark roasts. Blonde coffee has the most caffeine.
Medium Roast- a middle ground between both blonde and dark roasts.
Dark Roast- Dark roast beans are roasted longer than both blonde and medium roasts. It has the least caffeine of all the roasts.
*I usually remember the difference by thinking of the roasting process as ‘cooking the caffeine out’.
Hot Drinks
Espresso — concentrated shots of coffee.
Espresso con Panna — espresso topped with whipped cream.
Latte — shots topped with milk. Flavored lattes are made by adding flavored barista syrups to the drink before serving. In a hot latte, the milk is steamed.
Macchiato — This drink is made like a latte- but upside down! It’s milk with espresso shots on top. (Traditionally, macchiatos are made with a shot of espresso, dotted with foam. Read more about “The Macchiatto Thing’ here.)
Cappuccino — cappuccinos are made like a latte, but the milk is steamed for longer, which makes the drink lighter and creamier by creating more foam. (these can only be made as hot drinks, since the only difference between a latte and a cappuccino is the amount of foam.
Flat White — made like a latte, with a small amount of foam on top to create a white circle on the top of the drink. (more information here.)
Café Americano — shots with water. Can be made hot or iced.
Café Mocha/Mocha latte — a chocolate latte.
Black Coffee — your average cup of coffee, with nothing added.
Redeye — brewed coffee with a shot of espresso.
Dirty Chai — a chai tea latte with espresso.
When working with espresso, it is crucial for the drink quality for you to work quickly! Leaving your espresso shots sitting unused for too long can cause a taste that most would describe as ‘sour’. (more information here)
You may have noticed that I used a latte as the ‘base’ for most of the espresso drinks listed. Memorizing each drink as different variations of a latte is what helped me learn as a beginner barista, and it is the biggest tip I can give to beginners who may feel overwhelmed by the world of coffee.
Cold drinks
Café Frappe — coffee, milk, and ice blended.
Cold Brew — coffee that is brewed by steeping ground coffee beans overnight. Commonly served over ice.
Iced Coffee — brewed hot, just like your average cup of coffee, but it is cooled down after brewing and topped with ice.
Specifications and Additional Terms
Breve — with half and half instead of milk.
*Example- a breve latte would be espresso and steamed half and half.
Affogato — shot of espresso poured on top.
*Example — a frappe with an affogato shot would mean the frap has a shot added directly on top of it, not blended in.
Doppio- double espresso
Ristretto- a shot that is pulled with less water than normal shots. This makes the shot more concentrated
Skinny — when someone wants their drink ‘skinny’, they mean with sugar free syrups and nonfat milk.
Now you have the foundation to get to crafting all the coffee you’d like!
