What is the proper way to drink Americano? Will you be criticized for adding sugar to hot Americano coffee?

Introduction to Americano Coffee

Opening your phone, you can often see photos of celebrities with a black drink in hand - that's the legendary Americano coffee. Some curious friends might ask if Americano is black coffee. Yes, Americano is a type of black coffee, and it's the most popular coffee in cafes after milk-based coffees.

The Origin of Americano Coffee

The emergence of Americano dates back to World War II when American soldiers were deployed to Europe to support the war effort. At that time, Europeans drank very thick and rich coffee. Due to its intense flavor, these American soldiers couldn't adapt to such strong coffee, so they thought of diluting the concentrated espresso with hot water. This drinking method was continued. Europeans, however, preferred thicker coffee and even looked down on the practice of diluting espresso. Combined with the fact that it was created by Americans, they named this coffee "Americano," meaning American coffee.

Why Choose Americano Coffee?

People inherently have an "unpleasant" perception of bitterness, which naturally leads many people to be unable to accept the intense stimulation of espresso. However, some cannot resist the allure of black coffee, so they choose Americano. After dilution with water, the concentrated sweet, sour, and bitter flavors are all diluted, making it more pleasant while allowing them to savor it longer - what's not to enjoy? A delicious Americano's taste and characteristics are not just about coffee's bitterness; there should be a bit of acidity, a touch of sweetness, coffee's aroma, and a lasting aftertaste.

How Americano Coffee is Made

Friends who frequently visit cafes can easily notice that making Americano coffee is actually very convenient and quick. It only requires filling the portafilter with coffee grounds, distributing them evenly, tamping them, then locking the portafilter onto the espresso machine's group head and pressing the start button. A rich, smooth espresso with fine crema is produced. The remaining steps simply involve the barista pouring this espresso into a cup of hot or iced water.

The Art of Making Quality Americano

Through a transparent cup, you can see that Americano is a light, clear liquid. However, making a delicious Americano greatly tests the barista's extraction skills and, more importantly, the quality of the coffee beans.

To make it easier for the public to access good coffee more proactively, FrontStreet Coffee has been continuously exploring higher-quality coffee beans. Some friends might be curious: compared to pour-over coffee, where simply understanding which origin's main flavor you prefer solves everything, what are the recommended coffee beans for making Americano? Since typical espresso uses coffee beans blended from two or more single-origin beans to achieve more balanced flavor and texture, FrontStreet Coffee has designed four blend recipes suitable for espresso extraction. Additionally, to let friends experience coffee's most vibrant side, FrontStreet Coffee's beans are all freshly roasted, immediately packaged, sealed, and dated, ensuring every cup presented to you is of higher quality.

Friends who have experienced FrontStreet Coffee's stores know that FrontStreet Coffee consistently uses an espresso blend with rich, wine-like flavor notes - that's the Sunflower Warm Sun Blend.

FrontStreet Coffee's Sunflower Warm Sun Blend Coffee Beans

Origin: Honduras & Ethiopia

Varieties: Caturra, Catuai, Pacas, Local Native Varieties

Processing: Washed & Natural

FrontStreet Coffee's espresso blend is composed of 70% Honduras Sherry and 30% Ethiopia Natural Red Cherry. The Honduras Sherry, which accounts for 70%, undergoes meticulous washing before being placed in Sherry whiskey barrels for low-temperature fermentation for about 30 days. Those with some knowledge of whiskey barrels find that compared to other barrels, whiskey from Sherry barrels tends to be sweeter and more aromatic. In FrontStreet Coffee's blend, the Honduras Sherry beans, after fermentation in these barrels, are imparted with the same sweetness and aroma as Sherry whiskey.

The remaining 30% consists of Ethiopia Natural Red Cherry. As visible from this text, these are natural-processed coffee beans from Ethiopia. Ethiopian coffee is generally known for its bright, elevated acidity, and the natural processing method gives the coffee even more fruit flavors.

The espresso extracted from FrontStreet Coffee's espresso blend has a very intense whiskey aroma. As the temperature drops slightly, you'll taste flavors of vanilla, cream, and chocolate, accompanied by berry-like acidity from the Ethiopia Natural Red Cherry.

Making Americano Coffee at Home

Some passionate coffee enthusiasts will equip their homes with coffee machines, including espresso machines. But once you have the machine, how do you make an Americano? What is the proper Americano ratio? In traditional Americano, the ratio of espresso to water is 1:8. However, this ratio doesn't apply to all coffee beans. When FrontStreet Coffee uses the Sunflower Warm Sun espresso blend to make hot Americanos, the ratio is between 1:5 to 1:6. This ratio better highlights the Warm Sun blend's wine-like notes and cocoa aftertaste while maintaining a certain richness.

If making iced Americano, the same ratio applies, but it's important to note that ice will melt and turn into water, further diluting the coffee, so the amount of ice also needs to be calculated into the water portion.

Hot vs. Iced Americano

Some friends who want to drink Americano often struggle with a question: which tastes better, hot or iced Americano? What's the difference between hot and iced Americano? Regarding molecular thermal motion, there's a saying: the higher the temperature, the more intense the molecular thermal motion. The aroma molecules in hot Americano will be more active and easier for us to perceive. Iced Americano, due to ice cubes, has a lower temperature and tastes more refreshing. If you want to taste the rich aroma of coffee, you can try hot drinks; if you want something cool and refreshing, you can choose iced drinks.

How to Taste Americano Coffee

Tasting Americano mainly involves smelling the coffee's aroma before drinking, then taking a sip and letting the coffee linger in your mouth to feel its texture and acidity. The aftertaste and sweet return after swallowing are all indicators for evaluating a coffee's quality.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473