What is an Americano Coffee Drink?

Americano is espresso with hot water added. It is allowed to dilute espresso with water in a ratio of 1:1, 1:2 or 1:4. The classic ratio is 1:1, but you can make Americano any way you like. The more water, the less concentrated the drink will be.

It is important to add water only after the coffee is ready, and not to brew it initially with a lot of water, such as lungo coffee. Most carob coffee machines are not designed to brew Americano coffee, they can only make lungo, espresso or ristretto coffee, so the American version of the coffee drink often has to be diluted by hand. The taste of Americano is quite original and largely depends on the way the ingredients are mixed. The coffee drink has connoisseurs in America and various European countries. Bold experiments are carried out with americano, adding milk, crushed ice, alcohol and various types of syrup to it.

Drip coffee makers have been popular in the United States since the 19th century. They use filters. According to the technology, hot water penetrates through the layer of ground coffee on the filter. Therefore, coffee brewed in a drip coffee maker is called filter coffee. In all the bars of America, visitors were offered the so-called "Joe mug" - a container with 220 ml of filter coffee, which took 5-7 minutes to prepare.

At the end of World War II, American soldiers liberating Italy from the Nazis tortured local bartenders with demands to prepare a "cup of Joe". Espresso, beloved by Italians, seemed too strong to Americans, and servings of 30 ml after a large cup of filter coffee were completely ridiculous. Especially for Americans, espresso began to be diluted with hot water and served in latte cups. And in order to make it easier for military men who do not know Italian to order a diluted espresso, they began to call it americano. Paradoxically, America only really discovered Americano coffee in the 1990s, when the drink appeared on the Starbucks menu.

A misunderstanding arose: although drinks differ from each other in taste and preparation method, some baristas still confuse American coffee, that is, filter coffee, and Americano, diluted espresso.

An Americano can't be drunk in a few sips like an espresso. Therefore, it makes sense to serve it in a latte glass with a straw, a sugar bowl, or 1-2 sticks of sugar. In the office, it is convenient to drink Americano from a paper cup, sipping through a straw. The drink can be eaten with the same products as espresso: chocolate, fruit, hard cheese. But Americano is also in harmony with desserts, pastries, both sweet and salty. The classic combination is Americano with donuts.

How and when to drink americano? There are no strict rules on this. Americano can be drunk morning and evening, during and after meals, with or without milk, hot or cold. This is the perfect drink for any occasion.

Fragrant with a slightly perceptible coffee aftertaste, Americano is ideal for both business meetings and a romantic date. A cup of this coffee, prepared in accordance with quality standards, will not leave anyone indifferent.