Coffeehouse 101: Different Types Of Coffee Drinks

By Debrah Elliot


If you love coffee and coffee-based drinks, you probably enjoy a daily trip to your favorite coffeehouse. The menu board no doubt lists items such as lattes, mochas, cappuccino and espressos. Coffeehouse owners don't just use these words to sound upscale and sophisticated; they are actual terms that describe what type of drink you are ordering. Here are a few coffee definitions and facts for your enjoyment.

The basis for many drinks is espresso, which many people mistakenly believe is a type of bean. Actually, you can use any bean you like; it just needs to be very finely ground. Espresso is the method used to produce the drink and it is also the name of the drink. An espresso machine forces nearly boiling water through the coffee grounds using a great deal of pressure. The result is generally two ounces of rich liquid with much more caffeine than a cup of coffee.

If you like the taste of a well-prepared cup of coffee but don't quite want the strong taste of an espresso, you might opt for a caf Americano. This drink is created by making a fresh espresso and then diluting it with very hot water. Supposedly, American G.I.'s requested that water be added to their espressos in Italy during World War II and that was how the drink came to be although some historians dispute this story.

Of course many people love to have their coffee prepared with warm milk, and there are many variations on this theme. For example, a caf au lait translates to coffee with milk and that is just what it is, half coffee and half warmed milk. A latte is very similar and includes a shot or more of espresso topped with warm milk and foam. On the other hand, if you want a stronger drink, opt for a cappuccino which is more foam and less milk, allowing that espresso flavor to shine a bit more.

Another popular drink, especially in North America, is the caf mocha, which is a latte-style drink that begins by topping gourmet chocolate syrup with espresso and then adding steamed milk and perhaps a touch of whipped cream. The macchiato is an interesting drink because a true macchiato hardly resembles the type you get in most coffee shops. What we typically get is a latte with some yummy flavorings added, such as vanilla and caramel. Actually a true espresso macchiato is simply freshly brewed espresso topped with just a bit of foam.

Whether you love a good shot of well-prepared espresso or prefer the richness of a caf mocha, you'll find some of Southern California's top coffee at Island Monarch Coffee. Every drink at this Culver City coffee shop is made to order. Beans are freshly ground for each drink and the beans, imported from Hawaii and South America, aren't roasted until they reach Los Angeles. This makes certain that your cup of coffee is as fresh as possible. The staff at Island Monarch Coffee also purifies the water used in all drinks using a process known as reverse osmosis, which guarantees a pure, consistent taste.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment