Wine Article

These days when you walk in to a coffee shop it's a whole new world. You're not just ordering a "coffee". You're ordering a "coffee drink". There's an entire language you need to know just to order a coffee drink!

It all starts with placing your order. It used to be that you'd tell a waitress what you wanted. Now this job is held by a barista
or a person who serves coffee drinks as a profession. You need to tell the barista the size of the coffee drink you want. If you look on the menu
small
medium
and large will probably not be there. Your size choices are usually short (8 oz)
tall (12 oz)
grande (16 oz) and venti (20 oz).

The hardest decision will be what coffee drink to order "Black
cream & sugar" is probably going to get a strange look from the friendly barista. Ordering a drip coffee drink is not the fashionable thing these days. The more common drinks are cafes or espressos. You then need to figure out if you prefer a latte
mocha
or a cappuccino. A latte is an espresso shot with steamed milk. A cappuccino is equal parts of espresso
steamed milk and frothed milk. Mocha is basically a latte or a cappuccino with chocolate syrup added. But these are just the basics! The following list contains just a few of the coffee drinks available in a coffee shop (of course these names will vary slightly from one coffee shop to another).

-Caffe Americano: Single shot of espresso with 6 to 8 ounces of hot water added.

-Espresso Con Panna: An espresso shot with whipped cream.

-Ristretto: A restricted shot of espresso (called a short pull). During the brewing process
less water is allowed to pass through the coffee grounds. The makes for an especially intense flavor.

-Lungo: An extra long pull. During the brewing process
twice as much water is allowed to pass through the coffee grounds.

-Cafe Breva: Cappuccino made with Half & Half instead of whole milk.

-Dry: Espresso with a small amount of foam and no steamed milk.

-Chairo: Espresso drink made "clear" by adding more milk.

-Caffe Mochaccino: Cappuccino with chocolate syrup.

-Frappe: Coffee drink made with ice cream and milk.

-Shot in the Dark: An espresso shot in coffee cup
then rest of cup filled with drip coffee.

Once you get your coffee drink
you just can't take a taste and say "Good coffee". One must first comment on the aroma (or bouquet)
then the tone or appearance of the coffee drink. After the first taste
one can judge the body or weight consistency of the coffee drink. Next you need to describe how the coffee actually tasted. Was the coffee bitter
briny
buttery
spicy
sweet
stale
or even chocolaty? If all went well in the coffee preparation
and if you chose a good blend of coffee
this particular coffee drink could be considered mellow (or full and well balanced). Coffee sure has come a long way!