Whether your desire is to perk up or wind down, a good cup of coffee always adds an extra special touch to the current moment. It's no wonder people from all walks of life, alone or with good company, love making quick stops or spending extended periods of time in cafes, savouring the wonderful ambience and the comforting aroma of freshly brewed coffee.
If you happen to be in Australia and your taste buds are eager to sample its finely crafted beverages, it's best to have a clear idea of the different kinds of coffee that you can order from the barista. Here's a simple guide that can help you decide on just the kind of drink you're craving to order:
The basic coffee drink is called an espresso or short black. It's concocted by taking ground coffee beans and forcing very hot water through them under pressure. From this description, you can tell that it is a very concentrated form of coffee, and as such is used as the perfect base for most other coffee drinks served in cafes. Espresso is served in a small cup or glass. You can also choose to order a double shot espresso, which means you'll be served twice the amount of the single shot. Remember, it's strong stuff — so order it only if you're really up for an intense caffeine jolt!
A long black is made by pouring a single or double shot espresso over hot water. This coffee is served to you in a larger cup or glass.
If you prefer to take milk with your coffee, there are different preparations that you can enjoy. Take note, though, that cafes typically add steamed milk to coffee drinks. This means that the milk is heated with steam and thus comes out as a foam.
A macchiato is one coffee drink that comes with milk. Only a small amount of milk foam is added to the espresso.
Another type of coffee with milk is the latte. Instead of a cup, a glass is used to contain lattes. The drink is made of espresso topped up with steamed milk, plus just a little milk froth on top of everything.
Your barista may also recommend the flat white, which is an Australian specialty. Served in a cup, the flat white is an espresso combined with a mix of liquid and frothy milk.
A cappuccino, on the other hand, is espresso that also comes with steamed milk, and there's a thick layer of froth on top. To finish it off, the cup of cappuccino is dusted with some chocolate.
If you prefer a light sweetness to your coffee drink, you may want to order a mocha. This is quite simply a latte plus some chocolate syrup or powder.
Some more options
If you have specific ingredient preferences or dietary restrictions, most cafes offer the option of modifying the kind of milk used in the coffee drinks.
When you order a latte, full cream cow's milk is normally used for the steamed milk.
If you're watching your weight, or perhaps prefer the taste of different kinds of milk, you can choose to order a skinny latte (which uses low fat milk) or a soy latte (which uses soy milk). Of course, this doesn't just apply to lattes — you can also order a skinny flat white, for example, or a soy cappuccino.
If you want to be able to control the amount of milk and sugar that goes into your coffee, you can ask the barista if you can get the milk on the side. You will be given a small jug of milk with your coffee so you can add as much or as little as you like or need. You can also add sugar or cinnamon to your order from the tables or from a counter that displays shakers or packets of these ingredients, along with stirrers.
No matter how you like your coffee, you're sure to get a warm, comforting feeling from a sip of this heavenly beverage. Try ordering the different drinks until you find one that you love best.
Discover why Australia’s coffee is consistently voted as one of the world’s finest. Visit the best coffee shops in Australia today.