Newly Corporate

Every morning starts the exact same for me. When I arrive at the office I remove my bag, I take out my computer (never start it because I never turn it off!), and then I find my coffee buddy. We take the first 20 minutes walking to the coffee shop and getting our daily brew and starting rumors.

Some people grab coffee before coming to work, some while at work, some even work from a coffee shop, I know I would like to! But the fact is most people drink coffee or a similar beverage every morning. And why not, coffee is great! The smell, the taste, the buzz, just a great way to start a morning. Don’t forget, coffee can also help you get it done or put two days into one!

But how much do you know about your coffee? You may know how to order your drink, but what about if your picking up drinks for other people? Or maybe your somewhere new and their menu isn’t as detailed, how do you order what you want? Clearly this is a vast topic that could consume an entire blog! However, I love the short concise job aid, and hopefully I can give you enough lingo to help you flirt with that cute barista you neglect to tip every morning.

Coffee / Drip – Everyone knows what this is. Dark roasts are bold, generally more bitter, lighter roasts are mild. French roast is a bold dark roast and a breakfast blend is lighter, generally called medium roast. Be sure to ask for room or say no room depending whether you add cream or not. I like mine black!

Espresso - Coffee’s small hyper brother, espresso is going to use pressure to push water through a very fine grind. This is going to give you a strong tasting coffee and is the base for many other coffee drinks. Espresso is very under-appreciated in America. A good espresso captures the complexity and taste of a coffee bean. If you never have, I suggest you try plain espresso, at least once!

Doppio - Much like an espresso, this is often two shots with a shot of hot water.

Cappuccino- Espresso with Steamed Milk and Froth, generally equal parts milk and froth. With this drink your going to have the wonderful espresso taste but toned down by the milk. Important concepts concerning Cappuccinos are if you want it Dry or Wet. Dry or wet refers to the amount of froth you want. Dry means more froth and less milk, means the coffee will be stronger tasting, and vice versa for wet. If you have only drank latte’s you will notice Cappuccinos are often less full and lighter, that is due to the increased froth.

Latte- This is the American drink. Starbucks has taken the cappuccino and turned it into the American hamburger of coffee (not that that is a bad thing). What I mean is most coffee shops take a latte and create several different drinks. Add Chocolate and you have a mocha, caramel gives you a caramel latte, Honey gives you Boston latte, etc…

Macchiato - Means stained or marked. Traditionally is espresso with a small bit of milk froth or hot milk. Of course, at Starbucks and the like, their caramel Macchiato is much closer to a latte than a true macchiato.

Caffe Americano / Lungo - This is one of my favorite. It is quite simple, it is generally espersso with water. This is going to give you the same strength as regular coffee but a totally different flavor.

Chai- Not coffee at all but definitely a favorite among many people. Chai is a tea that is often sweetened and added with milk. This makes very much like a latte and can often be combined with sweeteners like a latte i.e. chocolate, honey, caramel, etc…

For Here – If your sticking in the cafe for your drink, order it in a “for here” cup. I think any coffee drink tastes better in a nice mug or glass.

Extra Hot - If you plan on traveling alot before enjoying your drink, tell the barista, make it extra hot! I’ve never had one tell me no due to liability reasons.

That is some of the basics, almost everything else in the coffee shop is a variate of those standard mixtures. Hopefully this helps you next time its your turn to get coffee for the office people. I suggest you try everything once. Whats your favorite morning drink?

(photo hat tip Modite, Thanks!)