What is Long Black Coffee? What's the Difference Between Long Black and Americano? How to Make Long Black Coffee?

For anyone new to espresso-based coffee, the sheer number of terms can be bewildering - Espresso, Ristretto, Lungo, Latte, Flat White, and so on. In this installment of our Barista Training series, we take a close look at what a Long Black actually is.

What is Long Black?

The Long Black, also known in China as "Ao Black" (Australian black coffee), is exactly what the name suggests: a coffee that hails from Australia and is popular across both Australia and New Zealand. And since it goes by the name Australian black coffee, it naturally invites comparison with the Americano.

The Long Black's recipe is simple: espresso and water. So how does it differ from the Americano, which is also just espresso and water? The popular explanation is that an Americano is made by pouring water into espresso (coffee first, then water), while a Long Black is made by pouring espresso into water (water first, then coffee) - in other words, the only difference is the order of assembly. Is it really that simple?

Origins of the Black Coffee Varieties

Both are black coffee, but where do the Americano and the Long Black actually come from?

The Americano was born after World War II, when American GIs stationed in Europe found straight espresso far too intense and diluted it with warm water. That origin story explains why an Americano is traditionally made coffee first, water second. To this day, order is not treated as critical in Americano preparation - the practical difference boils down to whether you preserve or disperse the crema. So if order is not the real dividing line, what is?

The Long Black is an Australian creation. Australians like their coffee relatively strong, and the Americano did not cut it for them. In Australia, espresso itself is called a Short Black, so a Long Black is essentially a lightly diluted espresso that keeps the richness of its crema while lowering the concentration. It is served in a smaller cup than an Americano - about 150ml - and built water first, espresso second. That preserves the crema, and because less water is used than in an Americano, the flavor and richness come out slightly ahead.

How to Make an Australian Black Coffee

1. Start by pulling 2 shots of espresso. For this demonstration FrontStreet Coffee used its Sunflower Warm Sun Blend. The details:

• Coffee Bean Name: Sunflower Warm Sun Blend
• Blend Source: Honduras Sherry Barrel, Yirgacheffe Natural Red Cherry
• Ratio: 6:4
• Flavor Description: Vanilla, cream, fermented wine aroma, chocolate

The extraction recipe is 20 grams of ground coffee yielding 40 grams of liquid espresso.

2. Next, take a glass or ceramic cup, pour 120ml of hot water (70-80°C) into it, and then add the 40ml of espresso. The crema will float on the surface for a beautiful, soothing presentation.

Tasting this Australian black coffee, FrontStreet Coffee found a rich, intense coffee aroma with dense crema and robust bittersweet flavors coexisting in the cup. As it cools, the layered character of the beans comes through as well.

By comparison, an Americano typically uses more water to soften the espresso's bitterness. At FrontStreet Coffee, the Americano is served in a 250ml cup with the espresso-to-water ratio held at 1:5 - 40ml of espresso plus 200ml of hot water. And because pouring water over espresso disperses the crema, leaving none of that appealing golden foam floating on top, many cafes now also build their Americanos water first, coffee second.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

A Long Black lives or dies on the quality of its espresso base, so FrontStreet Coffee recommends pulling your shots with its Classic Blend: buttery and cheese-like, full-bodied, low in acidity, and topped with rich, fine crema that stands up beautifully to dilution. Fans of fruitier black coffee can reach for the FrontStreet Strawberry Sugar espresso blend instead, whose low bitterness and full grape and blueberry notes add a lively twist to the same recipe.