Reading a Coffee Shop Menu

Everything from reading a coffee shop menu, pronouncing the different beverages, and understanding the process behind them is what we are chatting about in this post of the Her House Coffee Series! So far this series has (of course) been based on at-home coffee. Yet today, we’re mixing things up bit and “headed to a local coffee shop”! My hope is that this helps you feel a little more confident when placing your order and maybe even inspire you to try something new!

The very basics….

All of the drinks on the menu are built off of the following. You will see later that the different coffees are just different variations of how much of these things go into them!

Espresso | es – press- o (note: not esprexo, esspressa, and certainly not expresso, ahaha I heard it all back in my days as a barista!) : a very strong black coffee made by forcing steam through finely ground coffee beans.

Shot of Espresso | Typically about 1 ounce of espresso. (A double shot would be two ounces!)

Steamed Milk | Quite literally, steamed milk. Think hot and frothy!

Now that we’ve covered the very basics, reading the make up of menu drinks will make so much more sense! Here on out when you go to read a coffee shop menu, you will better be able to guess what suits your coffee preferences when ordering! Finally, onto the main menu…

What’ll It Be?

Here are the definitions and pronunciations of coffee drinks you’ll find on most coffee shop menus…

Latte – / Lah tā / – An 8oz hot latte is typically 1oz of espresso (one shot!) topped with 5-6oz of steamed milk poured to the top of the cup! A 12oz hot latte would be a double shot of espresso with 9-12oz of steamed milk. This drink is frothy and smooth and absolutely delicious with a flavored syrup added to it to sweeten it a little.

Iced Latte – Typically has 1-2 shots of espresso (depends on the size you order and coffee shop. You can always ask your barista!), ice, a flavored syrup, and your milk choice (not steamed, just regular ol’ milk!) poured to the top of the cup!

Mocha Latte – / Mō kuh / – A Chocolatey latte served ice or hot.

Americano – / Amerə känō / A double shot of espresso with piping hot water poured to the top instead of milk.

Cappuccino – Typically consists of the same amount of espresso as a latte, but with less milk. The milk is steamed slightly differently for this drink, it is even frothier than the milk in a latte. Naturally, it won’t be as “sweet” as a latte because there is less milk to smooth out the espresso.

Frappe – / Fra’pā / An icy, blended drink. Similar to a milkshake texture. Amount of espresso and the cream/milk base will vary business to business.

Flat White – The Flat White is a sort of sister to the hot Latte. It is a double shot of espresso with steamed milk, but with less milk, and less micro foam. Instead of the milk/foam being a fluffy layer on the top like in a latte, it is flat and the milk is folded into the espresso. This distributes the milk evenly, creating a much more consistent texture throughout the drink. The Flat White traditionally is smaller in size than a latte, similar to that of a cappuccino.

Cortado – If a Macchiato and a Cappuccino had a baby it would be a Cortado. It still has a double shot of espresso, but with more milk than a macchiato and less than that of a cappuccino. Even though the milk is still steamed for this drink, it has hardly any foam (if any) on top. It is just about equal parts espresso and steamed milk and usually served in a fairly small cup.

Macchiato – /ˌmäkēˈädō / Traditionally a shot of espresso with about an ounce of steamed milk. Macchiato simply means “marked/stained” in Italian! Because the milk is just enough to make a white “mark” on top of the shot. (Starbucks has their own version which is completely different than a traditionalEspresso Macchiato. Their version is pretty much just a caramel/vanilla latte.)

Drip/House Coffee – Remember your at-home coffee maker? Just basic black coffee. A lot more water content and a whole lot less concentrated than espresso. Though most coffee shops use really great quality grounds!

Ya learn something new everyday!

Or at least today you did *winky face*. I hope that the info in this post is helpful to you wherever and whenever you’re reading a coffee shop menu! You can always, always ask your barista questions, but maybe now you’ll understand their explanations even better! Look at you all educated hehe!!

Okay! Now definitely head over to Meredith’s “side of the story” for more super fun and insightful content on Coffee Shop Menus!

(Special thanks to Demure Coffee for letting me visit + capture their lovely coffee making process)