Coffee Lingo Everyone Should Know

Hey, Caf-Fiends!

If you live in the United States in a good sized town, you can probably find a Starbucks on every corner. In Chicago, you certainly can. And while Starbucks may speak with terms like tall, grande, and venti other coffee shops don’t. Also, a Starbucks macchiato isn’t the same as a coffee shop macchiato.

Want to learn what those fancy Starbucks terms will get you at a regular coffee shop? Read on to find out!

1. Types of Beans

Arabica:

• Sweeter and softer taste
• 70% of the world’s coffee
• Half as much caffeine as Robusta

Robusta:

• Stronger, harsher taste
• 30% of the world’s coffee
• Twice as much caffeine as Arabica

Arabica and Robusta are two different species of coffee and all the coffee that you drink falls into one of these two categories. Robustas mostly come from Africa and Indonesia, while the more expensive Arabica beans primarily come from Latin America.

2. Types of Roast 

Light Roast:

• Sweet, floral flavor
• Has the same amount of caffeine as a dark roast
• The country of origin is more noticeable in the flavor

Dark Roast:

• Has a bittersweet flavor
• Not necessarily stronger, just different

3. Types of Drinks

Below is a list of popular drinks that I, as a barista, make at the coffee shop I work at daily.

Americano:

• 1/3 espresso
• 2/3 hot water

Breve:

• 1 part espresso
• 1 part half and half
• any drink that has espresso in it can be made into a breve, such as mochas

Bulletproof:

• 2/3 drip coffee
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• blended together in a blender

Cafe Au Lait:

• 2/3 drip coffee
• 1/3 steamed milk

Red Eye:

• 1/3 drip coffee
• 2/3 espresso

 Cafe Latte:

• 2/3 espresso
• 1/3 steamed milk

Did You Know? 

That when you say “espresso”, you’re actually saying “press out” in Italian! Isn’t that cool?

More coffee shop lingo to come later this week! What’s your favorite drink to order? Comment down below with yours!