Coffee Bar Confusion
Have you walked into a coffee shop or sauntered up to one of our espresso bars only to become totally confused by the coffee-speak around you? If you’re a deer-in-the-headlights when a barista asks, “What’s your pleasure?” then this cheat sheet’s for you!
ABCs of Coffee Drinks
Our marketing intern, Gabrielle, put together a mini-dictionary of frequently used coffee lingo to make ordering your favorite brew a snap! No need to memorize this cheat sheet. Bookmark it as a handy reference to enhance your next coffee drinking experience whether with us or at your favorite Buckies or Dunkies.
Espresso Dave’s Coffee Bar Lingo Cheat Sheet
Americano An espresso with hot water added.
Barista A person who serves coffee and espresso-based drinks professionally.
Caffeine A natural ingredient found in coffee plants known for it’s stimulating effect on the central nervous system.
Cappuccino A traditional Italian drink made with espresso and hot, steamed milk, capped with frothed milk which may expand above the edge of the cup.
Chai Latte Black or green tea made with steamed milk and a combination of spices such as cardamom, cinnamon, black pepper, cloves, ginger or star anise.
Decaffeinated Coffee made with reduced caffeine amounts. The U.S. FDA guidelines allow officially “decaffeinated” coffee to have up to a small percentage of caffeine, since it is almost impossible to completely remove all traces of caffeine.
Dirty Chai Latte Add espresso shots to a chai latte.
Espresso The original coffee consumed in Europe. It’s a concentrated coffee beverage made by forcing nearly boiling water through finely ground, dark roasted coffee beans. A thin, golden layer of foam, known as crema, is one of the signs of good espresso.
Frothed Milk Aerated milk resulting in a warm mass of small bubbles or foam used to top a drink.
Latte An espresso made with steamed milk creating a creamy, milky texture.
Macchiato An espresso “stained” or topped with a little dollop of frothy milk.
Mochaccino An espresso drink made with chocolate and steamed milk.
Pull a Shot To make/pour a shot of espresso/coffee for a certain customer.
Single/Double Shot A single shot of espresso is one ounce; a double shot is 2 ounces.
Skinny Latte An espresso made with fat free milk.
Steaming Cold milk in a metal pitcher with hot steam forced into it which heats and/or froths the milk into creamy foam.
If you’d like to add coffee term you don’t see on this list, let us know in the comments below.
—Gabrielle LaMontagne
