What is an Americano?
The short answer is that an Americano is espresso diluted with hot water. You can stop reading now if you feel that has answered your question but there is more if you’re interested including
- Where did the Americano originate
- How do you make an Americano?
- How much caffeine is in an Americano?
- Does an Americano contain milk?
OK, if you want a bit more detail, it’s an espresso drink that you normally prepare at a ratio of 2:1 hot water to espresso. It’s very similar to a regular filter-brewed coffee in many respects, but it has a more intense flavour from the espresso, and would normally have a tell-tale crema on the surface of the drink.
(More on that crema later)
It also goes by the name Caffè/Café Americano, or even simply American. And while we’re getting technical, you can capitalise it or not, depending on which camp you sit on. We’ll capitalise it, it looks neater that way – ‘americano’ just doesn’t look right!
Where did the Americano originate?
Nobody seems to know exactly where it started from, but “Americano” means “American” and dates back to the 70’s. Some say that the name originated in Italy – the term “Caffè Americano” is Italian for “American Coffee.”
A popular but unverified story is that the name was born when American soldiers in Italy during WW2 would water down their espresso with hot water to replicate the coffee that they were used to. We like this story and it certainly makes more sense.
How do you make an Americano?
Brew a double espresso (60ml) and top it up with 120 to 450ml of hot water, depending on your taste.
Want a bit more information?
What other variations of the Americano are there?
Long Black: In Australasia a Long Black is a similar drink, but it is prepared differently. You pour the water first and then pour the espresso on top. (Is this why it’s called “Down Under”?)
Italiano: Not incredibly common, you can find the Italiano in the Western USA, and is essentially a short version of the American drink. You usually prepare 1:1 with Espresso and Water.
Iced Americano: Very similar in composition to its non-iced counterpart, with a crucial difference. You first pour cold water over ice, followed by the espresso shots. This is very different to cold brewing which is altogether different.
What is the difference between regular coffee and Americano?
An Americano is an Espresso-based drink, while a regular coffee would typically mean a brewed coffee – ground coffee with hot water slowly filtered through it. The biggest difference in appearance is the crema on the surface of the drink – see above.
What is crema? Feel free to nerd out on this video from James Hoffmann.
In an Americano just black coffee?
See the point above! Yes, it is a black coffee but the emphasis is on the fact that it is an Espresso-based drink, topped with water.
Does an Americano have milk?
No! There’s no need to order it “black” or “without milk”. An Americano does not have milk in it.
There’s nothing wrong with adding milk, but this is an “Americano with milk”. An Americano, by definition, does not contain any milk at all.
How much caffeine is in an Americano?
There are about 126mg of caffeine in this coffee, assuming you make it with a double shot of espresso. Check out this article which goes into a lot more depth about how much caffeine is in coffee.
How to make it better
James Hoffmann is the walking, talking, human coffee encyclopedia. He has an unusual hack for making a better Americano, and it involves scooping off the crema. Watch the video to find out why.
Milk with coffee, who would’ve thought?
Bonus vide, is just for laughs. Featuring Larry from Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Discover more about the different types of coffee here
About CoffeeCode
This article was written by Gregg Romano who is the founder of CoffeeCode, the UK’s fastest growing and most exciting coffee blog. CoffeeCode has a focus on great coffee, inspirational design and sustainability.
Credits:
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