How to Make an Americano

Americano is a coffee hiding an interesting history; its origin in one of the most significant moments in history. Today, its use is somewhat different. Although we can establish a certain resemblance to filter coffee, it offers coffee lovers a taste closer to that of espresso, the latter being the basis of the Americano.

History of the americano 

The invention of the Americano coffee is attributed to American soldiers during World War II. They were not accustomed to the stronger coffees commonly consumed in Europe. To make the taste of their coffee resemble what they knew (filtered coffee) they would add boiling water to their espresso. This created a type of coffee with a milder flavor than traditional espresso.

Today, the preparation of an Americano is somewhat different. By pouring the espresso over hot water, instead of adding water to the espresso, the coffee is able to retain its crema. This results in a coffee with more body than a filter coffee and a taste closer to that of an espresso. This makes the Americano an ideal coffee for stronger blends. The addition of water slightly softens the taste, allowing for a better perception of the various aromas.

AMERICANO RECIPE

1. Fill a cup ¾ full with hot water.

2. Grind 18g to 20g of coffee.

3. Pour a short double espresso (2 oz) directly over hot water.

4. Respect the ratio of ¼ espresso to ¾ water.

5. Enjoy!

How to make an americano?

Preparing an Americano coffee is simple and does not require any specialized equipment. You simply add a double short espresso to hot water, respecting the ratio of ¼ coffee to ¾ water, and you’re done. However, some places play around with this ratio to create Americanos that are more or less strong. The order in which water and coffee are added is a topic of some debate, even though both methods are possible. However, as mentioned above, it is preferable to add the espresso to the water to preserve the crema.

Afterward, you can add sugar, milk, or cream as you like. After all, the Americano was originally invented to transform an espresso into something resembling filter coffee, but with the taste of an espresso and a thicker texture due to the crema obtained during extraction.