Before becoming a barista, I knew nothing about coffee. A year into being a barista, I’ve realized the coffee world is large and apparently infinite. With what I know now, I can navigate the menus of most coffee shops and thought: why not share?
So, here is a list of 15 common coffee shop drinks with their explanation.
The non-espresso based coffee drinks
Drip coffee: This is coffee brewed when hot water is poured over grounds. As a baseline, this will be served black (without milk or syrup), but it’s always possible to add to it. The exact flavor of the coffee will depend on the beans and roast length/style. If you’re unsure what to try, this is a great time to ask your barista for their recommendation.
- Variations: Pour-overs and aeropresses can yield something similar to a cup of drip coffee but will be made in a smaller batch therefore changing the flavor – sometimes it’s described as richer.
- Fun facts: Lighter roasts have more caffeine and darker roasts have less because caffeine is released as the beans roast.
Cold brew: The most caffeinated drink on the list, cold brew is made when grounds are left for a prolonged amount of time in cold water, creating a more concentrated flavor. This can be served black or have cream and syrup added.
- Variation: Adding cold foam (cold milk frothed with sweetener) is a popular way to add creaminess and sweetness while still preserving the cold brew’s flavor.
The espresso based coffee drinks (from darkest to least dark)
A few notes here:
- The amount of espresso in a drink is dependent on the number of shots. One shot equals roughly one ounce of espresso.
- If shops carry decaffeinated espresso, any of the below drinks can be made in a caffeine-free version.
- Variation between shops is common. The provided descriptions are a basic overview but not a reflection of how every shop makes their drinks.
- Additionally, the larger a drink is, the more espresso or milk it may contain.
Espresso: As many shots of espresso as desired served hot or over ice.
Macchiato: A traditional macchiato is two shots of espresso with a dollop of milk foam on top, served hot.
Cortado: Two shots of espresso with two ounces of steamed milk, served hot. I’ve often made this with honey added.
Americano: Two or three shots of espresso in hot water or over ice with cold water. This can be black or have cream and syrup.
Cappuccino: Two shots of espresso with six to ten ounces of steamed milk, served hot.
Cafe au lait: A hot drink of half coffee, half steamed milk. Again, adding syrup to this is possible.
Flat white: This is essentially a hot latte without foam. It consists of two shots of espresso with steamed milk.
Shaken espresso/shakerato: This contains the standard two shots of espresso with cold milk and ice, but involves an additional step where the espresso is shaken with ice before milk is added. This gives the espresso a stronger flavor in the drink.
Latte: Made hot or iced, this drink is two shots of espresso with either steamed milk or cold milk and ice.
Latte macchiato: An inverse of the traditional macchiato, the latte form is made when two shots of espresso are poured over either cold milk and ice or steamed milk. Syrup, especially caramel, is a popular additive.
Flavored latte: This is the standard hot or cold latte, just with a flavored syrup (or syrups) as well.
Tea-based drinks
Matcha latte: Matcha is a finely ground green tea powder that can be combined with milk and/or syrup to make a lightly-caffeinated beverage. Matcha itself has a distinctive earthy taste that lends itself as a canvas to other flavors.
London fog: This latte is made by steeping earl gray tea and combining it with vanilla and/or honey and hot or cold milk. Earl gray is lightly caffeinated but not as much as coffee or matcha. This latte will have a light black tea and floral flavor with a hint of sweetness.
Chai latte: Most likely at a coffee shop this is going to be a powder or syrup concentrate of black tea with sugar and aromatics such as cinnamon and cloves. This can then be combined with milk to give it a frothy, creamy texture. For those who prefer loose leaf teas or traditional steeped chai, ask your barista before ordering to make sure you get what you want.