I’ll be honest with you…I hated coffee until my first year in university. I started working part-time as a Barista while I was going to school. Now, I don’t think I can spend a day without it – LOL severe addiction alert.
If those fancy coffee names low-key scare you, and you always order the same drink at a coffee shop; this article is going to be life changing for you.
The Core Four… Americano, Latte, Cappuccino, Mocha
The “core four” are the drinks you will see in EVERY coffee shop. Believe it or not, depending on the coffee shop and different milk types, their taste changes tremendously.
Let’s start with Americano…To be honest, one of the easiest drinks to make for a Barista. It’s basically espresso shot and hot water. Depending on the size, the amount of espresso shot changes. For example, “tall” size has one shot, “Grande” has two. Be careful, one shot of espresso has roughly 75 mg of caffeine and it WILL keep you up at night. Also, I have to mention, Americano is one of the most bitter drinks you can order. So if you want a sweeter drink, Americano should not be your go to.
Latte… My beloved drink… Caffè e latte is Italian for milk coffee, so as you can imagine, it’s espresso shot with your choice of milk. It is milkier than cappuccino, meaning more steamed milk than milk foam. You can get flavored, mostly with syrup, lattes from literally anywhere – hazelnut, vanilla, caramel etc. Just like the espresso amount, syrup amount depends on the size of the drink. I like my drinks less sweet so I usually ask for less syrup.
If you are a milk foam lover, Cappuccino is your drink. It’s espresso shot, a little bit of steamed milk and a lot of milk foam. If you like almond milk, you should keep in mind the fact that almond milk does not foam as good as 2% milk. So you are more likely to get a almond milk latte-ish drink. You can save couple of bucks, ordering an almond latte in the first place!
Lastly, for my chocolate lovers out there, mocha. It is the perfect combination of espresso, chocolate, and steam milk. If you ask for a mocha in Starbucks, you will not get real chocolate, but instead you will get it with mocha sauce. But, in little coffee shops you are most likely to get a tasty bar of chocolate inside of your coffee cup. You can pick your chocolate as well – white, milk or dark chocolate options are widely available. Believe it or not, “zebra mocha” is a thing and it’s a combination of white and milk chocolate mocha. You also might get whipped cream on top of your coffee in some cafes.
The next steps… Flat White, Black and Red Eye, Macchiato, Affogato
You don’t like milk foam? No problem! Then, flat white is just for you. It is made with micro foamed milk, and espresso shot. Flat whites are mostly made in smaller cups, thus, might be more bitter than a latte. Here is a Barista life hack, I usually as for a small no foam latte in Starbucks instead of a Flat White and save myself a dollar or two.
Red Eye and Black Eye are what you should be drinking if you want to pull an all nighter. Red Eye is filter coffee with an espresso shot while Black Eye is with double espresso shot. In other words, SO MUCH caffeine. It has a bitter taste, obviously. If you are not into that bitter taste, you can add a little bit of brown sugar.
Macchiato is one of the drinks that has been changed over the years. Traditional Macchiato is made with an espresso shot and little bit of milk foam. However, if you order a Macchiato in Starbucks, you will get a syrupy milky (probably caramel) Macchiato. When I’m at work and serve the traditional Macchiato shot, customers usually look at me weird since they expect their Starbucks Macchiato. So when you order some, make sure you ask if it’s a shot or Starbucks version!
Affogato is one of my favorite desserts. It is not so much of a drink but cafes usually serve it so I think it’s good to include it here. It is made with an espresso shot on top of vanilla gelato (or regular ice cream in some places). It is perfect for patio season!
Way more options than you see on the menu…
Nowadays, many cafes hold way more milk options than before. Almond, Coconut, Soy, Lactose Free, Oat…Pick the one that fits your diet and enjoy your coffee! Remember, you can always ask for less shots or more shots and even decaf! Just don’t forget to bring your reusable coffee cup:)