What is Quicksand Iced Americano? Quicksand Americano Coffee Making Steps Tutorial - Waterfall Iced Americano Taste Characteristics & Is It Good to Drink

Iced Americano is undoubtedly one of the simplest popular items in coffee shops, requiring just espresso, ice, and water. With the same "configuration," adding a few more steps to an iced Americano transforms it into another coffee drink—the Quicksand Iced Americano.

What exactly is the "quicksand" effect?

The "quicksand" refers to the crema from espresso being steamed into a fine golden foam layer. When poured into a cup and left to settle, it creates a visual effect of fine sand cascading down in layers as the coffee stratifies.

When steam is used to froth milk, air is incorporated into the liquid, forming numerous tiny bubbles under the surface tension of milk proteins. Coffee crema consists of vegetable oils, proteins, sugars, and various aromatic compounds. During the frothing process, proteins trap air to form larger bubbles. These larger bubbles are drawn into vortices and broken down into smaller foam particles. The interconnection between proteins in coffee creates a dense foam structure mixed throughout the liquid.

The lighter-colored small bubble groups begin to float upward, "gathering" at the top. Water molecules sink downward, and the lower half gradually darkens in color, creating the "quicksand appearance" we observe.

Preparation Steps

The preparation process is not complicated. FrontStreet Coffee uses their shop's Warm Sun blend coffee beans for making this drink.

Extract a double shot of espresso (38g) and pour it into a frothing pitcher containing approximately 100g of ice. Add 50g of room temperature water and gently swirl to thoroughly cool the coffee liquid.

The frothing process is identical to making milk foam. After incorporating air, adjust the angle of the frothing pitcher to create a vortex in the liquid (you can hear the sound of ice colliding). Continue until the ice completely melts, indicating that frothing is complete.

Additionally, FrontStreet Coffee has noticed that some friends froth directly without adding water, which can lead to too much air incorporation while insufficient liquid prevents the steam wand from properly creating dense foam. FrontStreet Coffee suggests adding a small amount of ice water to avoid the coffee becoming hot without achieving a rich foam layer.

Prepare a glass with ice and pour the frothed coffee liquid into it. You can then enjoy watching the coffee cascade down like a waterfall～

In terms of taste, because the intense espresso is frothed with ice, the bitterness of the coffee is reduced, highlighting subtle vanilla flavors and refreshing berry acidity. Combined with the fine, smooth foam layer, it creates a texture similar to dark beer.

Creative Variations

Americano can be enjoyed in creative ways～

The foam layer of the Quicksand Iced Americano is quite thick and can support lighter ingredients, such as edible dried flowers. FrontStreet Coffee tried sprinkling edible osmanthus flowers on the foam layer, which not only enhanced the coffee's complexity but also added an elegant floral aroma.

Pour the coffee liquid into a pre-frozen "ice glass" and let it float smoothly on the water surface, waiting for the espresso to "flow out" from within. This creates the once-popular Waterfall Iced Americano, which presents a dynamic visual effect through the solid-state melting of ice into liquid.

As a timeless classic coffee beverage, the Iced Americano offers great potential for creative variations due to its minimal ingredients and simple preparation steps. Perhaps by slightly shifting our approach, we can create the next "viral" coffee drink.

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Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473