How to Drink Espresso? What's the Difference Between Espresso and Americano?

Understanding Espresso Beyond the Bitterness

On various social media platforms, we often come across scenes like this: a coffee enthusiast tilts their head back and downs a shot of espresso in one gulp, frowning for a moment before revealing an intoxicated expression as if tasting a worldly delicacy.

Many friends are moved by the enthusiast's emotions in these videos, so when visiting coffee shops, they excitedly order a shot of espresso, attempting to experience the extraordinary flavor that espresso brings. As for the result... well, we can all imagine! At FrontStreet Coffee's storefronts, we often see such scenarios: as the espresso gradually spreads in the mouth, the taster's expression transforms from initial eagerness to furrowed brows, and upon swallowing the espresso, completely losing control over their expression, exclaiming "Wow, why is it so bitter!!" Then they turn and pour the espresso into the complimentary ice water to make an iced Americano, while conveniently adding espresso to their coffee blacklist.

This is why the vast majority of coffee shops in China treat espresso as a hidden menu item rather than placing it on the regular menu. The purpose is to prevent inexperienced newcomers from accidentally ordering it and triggering a series of negative reactions. However, espresso isn't actually as unbearable as everyone imagines. Like various bitter coffees, its bitterness is merely superficial, hiding very rich aromas and flavors behind it. It's just that the concentration of espresso is too high, making the bitterness too concentrated, and恰好 our taste buds are particularly sensitive to bitterness, so we tend to overlook the "colorful spectrum" hidden behind the bitterness. (The optimal concentration in SCA Gold Cup extraction standards is between 1.15%~1.35%, while espresso's TDS concentration value can typically reach 7%~12%)

But don't worry, today FrontStreet Coffee is here to share with everyone how to appreciate the deliciousness of espresso. It's not just about drinking - there are many techniques that can help us better experience the deliciousness of espresso when tasting it.

Technique 1: Stir

Actually, much of the bitterness that friends taste from espresso doesn't entirely come from the coffee liquid, but more from the crema. Because espresso machines use pressurized extraction, espresso comes with a layer of golden-hued foam filled with carbon dioxide—Crema, which we refer to as coffee crema.

Since the crema's density is much lower than the coffee liquid, within just a few seconds after extraction completes, it will all float on the surface of the coffee liquid. If you don't drink it in large gulps, you probably won't get much of the actual coffee liquid. And coincidentally, many friends often tentatively just take a small sip when first tasting, so they frequently only taste the crema, get stimulated by its bitterness, and thus give up on tasting espresso.

If you don't want this to happen, we just need to take out the small spoon that comes with the cup and use it to properly stir the espresso. This allows the crema and coffee liquid to reintegrate. Even with just a light sip, you can taste more of the coffee liquid. And the effect of stirring isn't just to help us better taste the coffee itself, but also to let the fine particles attached to the crema blend with the coffee, making the coffee's texture richer and more mellow.

Technique 2: Take Multiple Sips

Just like drinking cola, when tasting espresso, the flavor experienced in the first sip is often the most intense. This is because the taste buds haven't prepared themselves yet, so when faced with a sudden flavor, the sensation tends to be relatively strong and stimulating.

When we taste the second sip, we'll find that the bitterness has decreased significantly. As the sense of taste gradually adapts, the perception of bitterness gradually weakens. At this point, we can begin to gradually accept the flavor of espresso and start exploring the diverse layers hidden behind it. But it's important to note that the interval between sips shouldn't be too long. If there are several minutes between your first and second sip, let alone diminishing, the bitterness will actually increase due to the drop in coffee temperature. Not only that, the crema and flavors will also dissipate, greatly diminishing the experience. Therefore, espresso generally needs to be finished quickly in several sips within a short period to prevent the deliciousness from dissipating.

Technique 3: Pair with Iced Water

Generally, coffee shops will provide a complimentary glass of iced water when serving espresso, but the purpose of the iced water isn't for making Americanos—its main function is for rinsing the mouth. Before tasting espresso, we can first take a sip of iced water, which helps better perceive the deliciousness of the espresso.

Putting It All Together

First, we take a sip of iced/room temperature water.

Then, use a spoon to stir the espresso.

Finally, finish the espresso in several sips or one gulp. Note that after swallowing the coffee, we can temporarily close our mouth and exhale, feeling the aroma and aftertaste continuously released from the espresso residue in our mouth (this is the soul experience of espresso). After finishing this sensation, we can proceed with the next tasting~

When you drink this way two or three times, there's a high probability you'll develop an addiction to drinking espresso; otherwise, typically after the first time, you won't try a second time (obviously). But it's important to know that the above methods can only help everyone better appreciate the flavors hidden behind the bitterness, not eliminate the bitterness. So friends who really can't handle bitterness should probably not try it lightly! Or you can reduce the bitterness by adding sugar, which is also a very classic Italian drinking method~

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Important Notice :

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FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473