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

For those new to espresso-based coffee, facing a multitude of coffee terms can be perplexing - Espresso, Ristretto, Lungo, Latte, Flat White, and so on. In this installment of our Barista Training series, we'll explore what exactly a Long Black is.

What is Long Black?

Long Black, literally translated as "Long Black," is also known in China as "Ao Black" (Australian Black Coffee). As the name suggests, Long Black originates from Australia and is popular in both Australia and New Zealand. Since it's called Australian Black Coffee, it naturally needs to be distinguished from Americano (American Coffee).

The composition of Long Black is quite simple, consisting of Espresso and water. So what's the difference between Americano, which is also composed of Espresso and water? Many people simply believe that Americano is made by pouring water into espresso (espresso first, then water), while Long Black is made by pouring espresso into water (water first, then espresso). The difference between them is the order of "ingredients." Is it really that simple?

Origins of Black Coffee Varieties

Both are black coffee, but which countries do Americano and Long Black come from respectively?

First, Americano originated after World War II when American soldiers in Europe found the extremely strong Espresso too intense for their taste, so they would pour warm water into their coffee to dilute it. This explains why Americano is typically made by pouring coffee first, then water. Until now, there hasn't been much emphasis on the order in making Americano - the difference essentially comes down to preserving or dispersing the crema. So if it's not about the order, what is their real difference?

Long Black originated in Australia. Australians prefer relatively strong coffee, and Americano couldn't satisfy their needs. In Australia, Espresso is also called Short Black, so Long Black is essentially a slightly diluted espresso that maintains the richness of the crema while reducing concentration. Long Black is served in smaller cups than Americano, about 150ml, and is made by pouring water first, then adding espresso. This preserves the crema, and because less water is used for dilution than in Americano, the taste and richness are slightly superior.

How to Make Australian Black Coffee?

1. First, prepare 2 shots of espresso. For this demonstration, we're using FrontStreet Coffee's Sunflower Warm Sun Blend coffee beans. Here are the specific 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 method used is 20 grams of coffee grounds to extract 40 grams of coffee liquid.

2. Next, prepare a glass or ceramic cup, pour 120ml of hot water (70-80℃) into the cup, then add 40ml of espresso. The coffee crema will float on the surface, creating a visually beautiful and soothing presentation.

When FrontStreet Coffee tasted this Australian Black Coffee, we could experience rich and intense coffee aroma, with dense crema and robust bittersweet flavors coexisting. As the temperature decreases, you can also appreciate the rich layers presented by the beans.

In comparison, Americano typically uses more water to alleviate the bitterness of espresso. Taking FrontStreet Coffee as an example, our Americano serving cup has a capacity of 250ml, with the espresso-to-water ratio controlled at 1:5, meaning 40ml of Espresso + 200ml of hot water. Additionally, since people discovered that adding water afterward would directly disperse the crema, making the visual effect far less appealing than that golden foam floating on hot coffee, the detail of adding water first then pouring coffee is emphasized when making Americano.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473