What Do I Order?

Ordering Espresso Drinks

By Jody Brown

We see that expression all the time.  It’s the one that says “I want a delicious coffee, but I have no idea what to order. I really don’t want to feel dumb… “

“I’ll have a mocha…. something?”

Perhaps you’ve had that feeling of complete angst as you walk into a coffee shop.  I understand, because I have been there.  Believe it or not, there was a time when I would order an iced americano with ‘hard caramel’ (to be fancy) only because I knew what it was.  I knew what good coffee tasted like, but I didn’t know the ins and outs of traditional coffee-shop beverages.

Since accuracy is important to me and my business, I had to learn from the ground up, and I think this is a good thing.  It means our drinks stay pretty true to their original intended form.  You won’t get a 16 ounce macchiato at The Atom. 

Since knowledge feels like freedom, I would like to pass some of this on to you so you can order with ease the next time you visit a coffee shop (The Atom). I’ll add my disclaimer right now to those that would like this to be a very technical and italian-esque discription. It is not. We are keeping it simple.

 Here’s a quick guide to your espresso drinks:

Espresso:

The difference between espresso and coffee starts with the roasting.  Espresso beans are usually roasted a little longer, giving it a little darker flavor.  Espresso beans are also ground finer: more like powdered sugar than sand (coffee).  Then espresso is run through a pressurized ‘pull’ where hot water is forced through a porta-filter tamped (or pressed) with espresso grounds.  These pulls should take a certain amount of time: usually 20 – 28 seconds for our particular beans. Our baristas make adjustments to the grind as necessary to make sure they pull properly.  A short pull will make the espresso taste sour, and a long pull will make them taste burnt.  This is why it is so important to buy your espresso from baristas that know what they are doing.

We serve our espresso by the ‘shot’.  A shot is one ounce of espresso. Each shot carries about 65 grams of caffeine.  A shooter is typically two shots of plain espresso.

Americano:

This one kind of cracks me up. It is basically Europe’s way of calling Americans out on their watered-down coffee.  It’s just that: espresso and water. It’s a way to make espresso taste more like a drip coffee.  However, americanos tend to have a darker flavor because of the longer-roasted beans. Add more shots to make it stronger, less to make it weaker. Some coffee shops only serve americanos in lieu of house coffee.  We serve both.

Cappuccino  / Macchiato / Flat White

I put these together because they are very similar in construction.  They all start with espresso.  Then we add an equal part of steamed milk or foam.  This is a small coffee drink: usually less than 8 ounces.

• Cappuccino = espresso / steamed milk / foam
• Macchiato = espresso / foam
• Flat White = espresso / steamed milk

“You’re wrong because I always order a Caramel Macchiato at Starb**ks and it’s nothing like that!!”

Well, this can be pretty frustrating to a barista when someone orders this.  We don’t know for sure what you are ordering.  Some companies like to name their drinks without accuracy – or they eliminate words like “Latte” from the name because it flows better, and they replace a micro-foam with whipped cream.  This causes a lot of confusion among customers. We just make sure to ask the questions that let us know what drink you are expecting when you order this. We can make that version, but we call it a Caramel Vanilla Latte with whipped cream.

Latte:

Espresso / More Milk / Little Foam

When you order a latte, you will get an espresso drink that is mostly milk.  They can be served hot or iced.  When hot, we steam the milk to create a micro-foam that tops your latte.  Our micro-foam is especially delicious when you add flavors to your latte.  We steam them right in there – making your foam a tasty treat on top.

Breve:

Espresso / More Half and Half / Foam

My favorite way to describe a breve is to call it a hot milkshake.  It is so rich and creamy.  A Breve is basically a latte made with half and half instead of milk.  Add a flavor, and you have a rich, decadent treat.

Cold Brew:

Cold Brew has become so popular in recent years for good reason.  It is smooth, highly caffeinated, less-acidic, and delicious.  Cold brew requires specifically roasted beans for cold brew, and are coarsely ground.  The grounds steep in cold water for an 18-24 hour period, leaving a cold-processed espresso that is delicious in an iced beverage.  Because of the cold process, none of the caffeine is cooked out, and it absorbs fewer of the water-soluble flavors of the bean, so it has less bitterness. All around, it’s the best iced-coffee you can get.  And we make ours from scratch in-house.  It’s the best we’ve ever tasted. Add water for an iced coffee, or milk for an iced-latte.

Frappuccino:

We call these “Cold Fusions” at The Atom.  These are blended espresso drinks.  We start with shots of espresso, flavored syrups (when needed for the recipe), Frappuccino powder (for a creamy consistency), milk, and ice.  This is where the recipes tend to get pretty creative.  You can order just about any candy bar flavor or custom flavors dreamt up by our staff and customers.  There is usually a caramel, chocolate, or white chocolate drizzle and topped with our house made whipped cream.  It’s definitely a favorite with the masses.

So there you have it.  Once you master these variations, you can start customizing things to your liking.  For instance:

• Mocha: Chocolate
• Half Caff: ½ regular espresso, ½ decaf espresso.
• Skinny: Made with non-fat milk
• Dry: Less Milk
• Wet: More Milk

You can throw in your alternative milks if you want (we have almond, coconut, soy, and hemp), ask for whip (we have both chocolate and vanilla), flavors or drizzle, and you will sound like a pro before too long!

“I’d like a skinny half-caff dry almond milk cappuccino with a hard caramel drizzle (to be fancy)” 

One more thing. Let’s all remember there is no “X” in “Espresso“. Now you’re ready.

You’re welcome!

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