What is the correct way to drink Americano? Is authentic Americano coffee with water ratio pure black coffee?

Think back to when you walk into a coffee shop and read the menu. The first drink you see on most menus is the "Americano," which is also the most frequently ordered beverage in many coffee shops. So why do so many people love Americano coffee?

Why is Americano Coffee Called "Americano"?

From the name, we can probably guess that espresso comes from Italy, while Americano coffee should originate from America.

The rise of Americano coffee began in the 18th century. At that time, Americans were extremely dissatisfied with the British government's high import tariffs on tea, leading to the "Boston Tea Party" in 1773, where they advocated for switching to coffee instead. Gradually, the number of coffee shops in America continued to expand, promoting the vigorous development of the coffee industry in the United States. By the 1880s, about one-third of the world's coffee beans were sold to the United States. During World War II, American Allied forces consumed large amounts of coffee daily to relieve the monotony of life while also boosting morale for soldiers.

However, Italians were accustomed to drinking strong, intense espresso, which American soldiers found too strong and bitter. They began adding water to dilute the coffee liquid to reach a concentration they could accept. Later, Italian coffee shops in America also "adapted to local customs" by introducing "watered-down coffee" based on espresso, which became very popular. This "watered-down coffee" was later called "Americano."

What Types of Americano Coffee Are There?

Americano coffee consists of espresso extracted from an espresso machine mixed with water, without any other additives, making it a type of black coffee. There is no specific standard for the brewing ratio of Americano coffee, meaning that every coffee shop's Americano might be different, determined by the flavor characteristics of the coffee beans used and the cup size.

For example, the Americano coffee served at FrontStreet Coffee uses their own roasted Sunflower Warm Sunshine blend coffee beans. Under ideal extraction, it should have flavors of wine, vanilla, cream, chocolate, and berries. To highlight these aromas, FrontStreet Coffee conducted multiple comparisons and finally determined a 1:4.5 ratio - that is, adding 180g of hot water to 40g of espresso. When making iced Americano, they replace it with 100g of large ice cubes and 120g of water, creating a 1:2.5:3 ratio. This iced Americano has moderate concentration with a refreshing sweet and sour taste.

In addition to Americano, another drink called Long Black has also begun to be added to the menus of some coffee shops. In Australia, people generally use "Black Coffee" to refer to black coffee, while Long Black is usually translated as "long black" or "Australian black" in China.

FrontStreet Coffee has reviewed relevant materials and noticed that the most obvious difference between Americano and Long Black is the different amount of water added. Americano coffee is made by first extracting espresso, then adding water for dilution, with a ratio of espresso to water between 1:5 to 1:8. Long Black, however, has a richer coffee flavor compared to Americano, with a smaller cup size. Baristas extract two shots of espresso (40g) into a cup containing 100-120ml of water, preserving the rich Crema on the surface. Therefore, the first sip of Long Black is the most intense and mellow, with the subsequent flavor profiles being relatively clear and clean.

Why Do So Many People Love Iced Americano?

As FrontStreet Coffee mentioned above, the most frequently ordered item on the menu is Americano coffee, of which about 80% are ordered iced, with only a small portion ordering hot Americano. Why is this?

FrontStreet Coffee has compared iced Americano, warm Americano, and hot Americano, finding that hot Americano has the fullest flavor and richest body, iced Americano has a refreshing sweet and sour taste with clean flavors and weaker bitterness, while warm Americano has a mellow taste with neither flavor nor mouthfeel being prominent enough. Therefore, coffee shops generally don't offer room-temperature Americano. Compared to the strong coffee flavor of hot Americano, people prefer the clean and refreshing taste of iced beverages. For those who need to wake up early for "manual labor," a cup of iced Americano not only solves the problem of drowsiness due to insufficient caffeine but also helps relieve greasiness and quench thirst while satisfying the taste buds, all at a very affordable price - naturally making it more popular.

Connect with Coffee Experts

For professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account: cafe_style).

For more specialty coffee beans, please add the private WeChat of FrontStreet Coffee, WeChat ID: qjcoffeex

Important Notice :

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FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473