Know your Coffee Drinks SERIES: Pt 4 “Cubano, Cafe Au Lait, & Affogato”
Okay, first things first, what’s an Cortado anyway?! Well, if you don’t know the answer to that question, if you can’t even decipher the coffee jargon you hear like “nitro” and “flat”… you’ve come to the right blog. Breathe deep, this is a no judgement zone. It’s time to up your coffee jargon game, at least when it comes to the various types of drinks there are out there!
If you read our first blog post in this series, you would know by now… this is a no judgement zone! We have probably all been there once or twice before, even if it was only your first time at a particular cafe. You’re looking at the menu of coffee drinks, not really sure what the differences are between a macchiato and a cappuccino – and wait, which one has caramel? Anyway, we are spending the next few blog posts in a series to help cut through the madness and make some sense of some of these different types of drinks.
Get ready for a deep dive into some coffee culture. Today’s blog continues our journey around the globe, exploring some of the most popular espresso based coffee drinks in other countries!
In our KNOW YOUR COFFEE DRINKS (KYCD) BLOG SERIES, we’ve been on a journey sharing at least 10-15 different coffee drinks and finding out what makes them unique. Continuing our globe trotting blog last time, we are going over some espresso beverages that aren’t quite as well known or popular locally, but are very popular overseas. Pro Tip: if you see these on any cafe menu, know you’re most likely at a really solid spot and this barista knows their stuff.
Break out your passport, ladies and gentlemen. Today we start with:
Cubano
Originating in Cuba, this espresso is covered with a thick layer of a special sweet cream. This sweet cream layer is made by mixing coffee with brown sugar until it foams, and then gets layered on top:
- one shot of espresso (1.5-2oz)
- sweet cream layer
Affogato
Named by Italians, this coffee beverage could be considered a dessert treat to many. Affogato is made by pouring a shot of espresso over sweet vanilla ice cream, in a cappuccino cup:
- one shot of espresso
- scoop of vanilla ice cream or gelato
Cafe au Lait
Last stop on our international coffee tour bring us to France. This French favorite is made by mixing dark roast and warm milk in a small bowl or large coffee cup:
- dark roast coffee (not espresso)
- warm milk
Next up… we will go deeper into the world of espresso drinks… stay tuned for more detailed descriptions so you can make your own at home, or simply up your coffee connoisseur lingo! Next blog will be our last in the KNOW YOUR COFFEE DRINKS SERIES.