“Coffee is a language in itself.” – Jackie Chan If you love coffee – I mean, really love it – you know what it means to suffer its absence. And revel in its glory. It’s not just the lethargy that sets in when you’ve gone too long between cups. Or the raging headache that reminds … Read more
Coffee. Coffee! A drink that need not go by any other name. And yet… it does. Several, actually. While the official word for coffee is remarkably similar in many, many languages around the world – some variation of koffie or café – the number of slang terms and different words for coffee more than compensates … Read more
A regular shot of espresso is roughly equivalent to 1 ounce of water passed through 7 grams of ground coffee. This is what is served standard in most coffee shops when you order a single shot of espresso. A long shot of espresso passes more water through the same grounds. Typically, a long shot uses … Read more
What’s on the drink menu at your local coffeeshop is only about a tenth of what a knowledgeable barista knows how to make. Being equally knowledgeable about your options can give you a far better experience. You might even find something you like better than the standard cappuccino or latte. Two often hidden coffeeshop menu … Read more
A long black coffee is a virtually nonexistent offering in American (and many European) coffee shops, and there’s a reason for that. It has an almost exact twin – the americano – which is the better-known drink of the two and the one you’re more likely to find on the menu of an American coffee … Read more
Nothing spoils a great cup of coffee more than a tepid temperature or a scald so hot it takes off half your mouth skin before you can swallow it. Coffee, like most hot drinks, is a straight-up Goldilocks situation. It simply tastes better when it’s “just right.” What is the right temperature for coffee, though? … Read more
Kona coffee is named after the region where it’s grown – that is Kona, Hawaii, on the island of Hawaii, otherwise known as the Big Island. Like many coffees, Kona gets its distinctive flavor from the very delicate ecosystem in which it grows. It can literally not be grown anywhere else in the world. That’s … Read more
The main difference coffee drinkers notice when comparing light and dark roasts of coffee is the flavor. Even when made from the same bean, a lightly-roasted coffee tastes completely different than a darkly-roasted coffee. While the taste may be the most important and most notable difference between dark and light roasts, though, it’s not the … Read more
If your go-to espresso drink at the local coffee shop is a cappuccino, then you might be wondering how it compares to a cortado. I mean, after all both are just espresso and some variation of hot milk, right? Probably just different names for the same thing, huh? Well, if you’re ready to say “right” … Read more
If you’re like most coffee drinkers, then you always order the same drink – no matter what coffee shop you’re fueling up at. But what if you’re feeling adventurous and looking to try a new drink? If you find yourself at a coffee shop with more than a basic drinks menu, then do something different … Read more