What is an Iced Americano Without Water? How to Make Iced Espresso and What Are Its Flavor Characteristics?

When you think about it, the versatility of espresso coffee is simply incredible. There are so many different ways to enjoy Americano coffee alone. The traditional method for making an Americano is a simple process of adding water to espresso, but due to everyone's different needs and preferences, the requirements for Americano naturally vary. Therefore, coffee shops often receive various different Americano preparation requests~ such as "iced Americano without water"!

People can understand choosing iced Americano without ice as a compromise between fearing both hot and cold temperatures, but removing water leaves everyone somewhat puzzled. After all, without water, can this coffee still be called an Americano?

Is an Iced Americano Without Water Still an Americano?

Of course, it can! After all, ice is also made of water, and when espresso is poured over it, the ice begins to melt! Generally speaking, friends who order this way want to enjoy a more concentrated iced coffee! After all, Americanos add quite a bit of water for dilution.

At this point, some might raise their hands and ask: "Since it's just espresso with ice, why not directly order espresso with ice when placing the order?"

Why "Iced Americano Without Water" Instead of "Espresso with Ice"?

Indeed, with just a little understanding of the espresso system, one would know that both an iced Americano without water and espresso with ice are essentially the same drink. The reason for not choosing espresso with ice is, first, because for most coffee drinkers, they are more familiar with Americano than with espresso! Therefore, as long as they mention making some adjustments based on the Americano preparation method, they can definitely get the result they want. Playing it safe is most important.

Secondly, it's because: most coffee shops do not have an option to order espresso on their menu, and FrontStreet Coffee is no exception. At FrontStreet Coffee's storefront, the menu only features a few regular espresso drinks. Espresso, like Flat White and Dirty, is part of the hidden menu!

This is mainly because these few coffee drinks have rather particular consumption methods or flavor profiles. Think about it: if espresso were ordered by someone who doesn't drink coffee often, they would face the painful experience of "having to finish what they ordered, even if it brings tears to their eyes." Therefore, generally speaking, to prevent beginners from ordering by mistake, espresso can only be a hidden option.

How to Make an Iced Americano Without Water?

So, how should one make an iced Americano without water? Although it might seem like simply making an iced Americano without adding water, there are actually quite a few considerations~ such as the choice of cup! For cup selection, it's best to use cups with a capacity under 200ml and relatively short in height. Because the amount of espresso is relatively small, even with melted water, there won't be too much liquid. If you use a tall, large-capacity cup, it would be quite inconvenient to drink from.

Secondly, compared to using another container to catch the espresso first and then pouring it over ice, FrontStreet Coffee recommends directly using the ice-filled cup to catch the espresso, allowing it to pour directly onto the ice cubes as it's extracted. This way, some of the crema won't be "snatched away" by another container.

Additionally, the espresso will be rapidly cooled, thereby preserving more flavor and texture! Sasa Sestic, who made a splash at the WBC competition, invented a dedicated metal ice sphere for coffee based on this principle.

What Does an Iced Americano Without Water Taste Like?

FrontStreet Coffee uses a medium-dark roast "Warm Sun Blend" for their espresso beans. The hot espresso made from it has very rich nutty and whiskey flavors, and because the flavors are concentrated, we can perceive a certain bitterness. However, when made into an iced Americano, because the concentration is diluted, the flavors are all released! There's the sweetness of caramel, the aroma of whiskey, lively berry acidity, and hints of hazelnut chocolate! The iced Americano without water combines the advantages of both. Due to cooling and the dilution from some melted ice water, this waterless iced Americano (or iced espresso) has uplifting, rich berry acidity, whiskey aroma, and rich flavors of toffee and nutty cream!

However! While it's not as bitter as hot espresso, because it's not overly diluted and the acidity is quite prominent, it still has a somewhat stimulating (not negatively stimulating) sensation when drinking it. It can only be savored in small sips. But unexpectedly, this is also one of its major advantages! The gradual melting of the ice means that with every sip of this waterless iced Americano, there's a slightly different experience. You could say that until you finish it, it's constantly changing. Then, when we look back at the taste of the first sip and the last sip, you'll find that they are completely different flavors, with very rich layers of change!

Conclusion

Therefore, we can know that each way of drinking has its own significance! Only after experiencing it personally will you discover the different feelings these drinking methods bring. For example, Americano with milk - the addition of milk brings a smoother texture to this Americano; or Americano without crema - after removing the crema with burnt bitterness, the entire Americano tastes cleaner and softer! What FrontStreet Coffee means is: we shouldn't hold alternative views towards customers or friends just because of some of their non-traditional preparation requests! What if, this cup of non-traditional coffee, you also like it~

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FrontStreet Coffee

No. 10, Bao'an Qianjie, Yandun Road, Dongshankou, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473