How to Drink Espresso: Is It Better Made with Italian Espresso Blends?

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Espresso is a very classic Italian coffee with a rich and layered flavor that can highlight certain flavor characteristics of coffee. However, because espresso tastes very strong when first tasted, more people prefer Italian-style coffee with espresso as the base.

Additionally, many coffee shops do not include espresso in their menus, mostly keeping it as a hidden menu item until experienced enthusiasts ask for it. Although this coffee does not appear on FrontStreet Coffee's menu, it can be prepared upon customer request.

For this niche yet common coffee beverage, many enthusiasts want to know "how to drink a cup of espresso." Whenever FrontStreet Coffee hears this type of question, to solve it, we first need to understand another question: "What are we tasting when drinking espresso?"

The traditional way to drink espresso is to finish it quickly, in about two to three sips. This is because the coffee's texture is most perfect during this period, and the caffeine intake is relatively lower, allowing you to enjoy the delicious taste while considering your health.

But when it really comes to how to drink espresso, FrontStreet Coffee can share three drinking methods to help you find the most suitable way to enjoy your espresso.

1. Common Beginner's Way to Drink Espresso

Typically, FrontStreet Coffee serves espresso with ice water. Before drinking the espresso, take a sip of ice water to rinse your mouth and cleanse your palate to better appreciate the espresso. Then use the provided spoon to stir the espresso. The coffee liquid at the bottom of the espresso will be thicker, while the surface portion will be thinner. Stirring to mix evenly allows for better tasting of the espresso. Of course, you can also choose not to stir to experience different textures and layers.

Next, finish the espresso in 3 to 4 sips. Use your tongue to rub against your upper palate to feel the texture of the espresso, and use the sides of your tongue to experience the acidity, combining various taste sensations to appreciate the overall state. After finishing, close your mouth and breathe out to experience the aroma of the espresso and the aftertaste remaining in your mouth. Finally, take a sip of clear water to rinse your mouth and feel the sweetness of the coffee.

However, as a beginner espresso enthusiast, you might try adding a tiny amount of sugar and a proportion of fresh milk not exceeding the coffee itself, stir slightly, and drink it all in one go. This method allows you to taste the semi-melted sugar dissolving in your mouth, experiencing the transition from bitter to sweet, which will absolutely make you fall in love with this cup of espresso. The fresh milk also neutralizes the intense taste, making it the most suitable method for beginner coffee enthusiasts.

2. Drinking Method Exclusively for Men

For men, directly facing the intense espresso is absolutely the most suitable way to drink it. When tasting the most intense concentrated coffee, you can first take a sip of ice water to remove any lingering flavors in your mouth, then drink the coffee in one go. The dual taste experience of ice water and hot espresso is definitely another kind of surprise beyond the taste itself.

If you want to add some variety, adding some rum or whiskey to the espresso allows the two intense, strong flavors to collide with each other. This method requires a high level of appreciation—don't try it lightly.

3. Drinking Method Exclusively for Women

Compared to men's pursuit of absolutely intense tasting methods, the method suitable for ladies is relatively more elegant. Before drinking the coffee, first take a sip of warm water, then slowly drink the espresso. The warm sensation blending in your mouth gradually releases the aroma of the espresso—a subtle expression that stands in absolute contrast to the men's method.

Of course, just as most women love lattes and other Italian-style coffees made from espresso, adding some fresh milk without sugar to espresso and gradually reducing the amount of fresh milk is also a way to appreciate it.

Technically speaking, espresso is both a beverage and a brewing method. Under pressure close to 9 bar (that is, 9 times normal atmospheric pressure), near-boiling water is forced through finely ground coffee powder to extract a cup of thick, strong espresso. Most espresso machines complete the entire extraction process in less than 1 minute. If you were making pour-over coffee, this one minute might not even be enough to finish pouring the water.

This is also the characteristic of espresso—it's very convenient. Next, FrontStreet Coffee will share with you how to make a cup of espresso.

How to Make Espresso

Step 1: Dosing. Before dosing the coffee powder, you need to place the portafilter on an electronic scale and zero it, then dose the coffee powder and place it on the scale to ensure consistent coffee powder weight each time. FrontStreet Coffee uses 20 grams of coffee powder.

Step 2: Distribution. When distributing the coffee powder, you can distribute according to your needs. FrontStreet Coffee uses a distribution tool, but if you don't have one, you can also use your fingers to distribute. The main purpose is to ensure the coffee powder is evenly distributed.

Step 3: Tamping. When tamping, the force should be moderate. Too light will make the coffee puck loose, while too heavy will make the coffee puck too dense, making it difficult for water to pass through the coffee puck, leading to over-extraction. Additionally, the direction should be perpendicular to the filter basket.

Step 4: Extraction. After locking the portafilter into the coffee machine, immediately turn on the extraction switch and start timing. Generally, the extracted coffee liquid is 40 milliliters, and the time is about 25-30 seconds.

Step 5: Cleaning. After extraction is complete, you can clean the filter basket.

FrontStreet Coffee uses the Fiorenzato E98 espresso machine. Extraction parameters are as follows:

Pressure: 9 bar ± 2
Temperature: 90.5~96°C
Time: 20~30 sec
Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:1.7~1:2
Dose: 12g (single espresso) 20g (double espresso)
Extraction yield: 20ml (single) 40ml (double)

FrontStreet Coffee uses double espresso for making Italian-style espresso. Choosing a suitable espresso blend is also very important. Currently, FrontStreet Coffee uses its own roasted "Sunflower Warm Sunshine" blend, using Ethiopian natural-process red cherry combined with Honduran Sherry coffee beans in a 7:3 ratio. Therefore, the extracted espresso flavor has distinct fruit acidity upon entry, with a light berry aroma lingering, rich wine and chocolate flavors, and a comfortable sweet aftertaste.

For more specialty coffee beans, please add FrontStreet Coffee's private WeChat: kaixinguoguo0925

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473