Americano is one of the world's most excellent and popular espresso-based drinks. Whether it's diluted with water or milk, espresso, like no other beverage, has brought many drinks into the world of coffee, and this time we'll discuss one of them; an americano, what it is, and how to make it.
To make an americano, we'll need to mix espresso with hot water, and that is it. In its very essence, americano is an espresso diluted with hot water, and it is very straightforward to prepare.
When we put together an americano, the order in which we add the water into espresso or vice versa is irrelevant to the beverage's taste. Nonetheless, it does affect the visual appearance of the americano. When we put espresso first and top it with hot water, its crema tends to thin out and disappear. But when we pour the espresso onto the hot water, the crema stays on top of the americano, making it a more beautiful drink visually.
An americano inherits its taste from the espresso we use to make it. Adding hot water doesn't make the americano lose its espresso's complex texture, but it makes it pleasantly balanced. Nicely brewed espresso will make for a lovely americano. And with that said, any defects of a poorly brewed espresso, whether under-extracted or over-extracted, will not be concealed by adding hot water and making an americano. We should use only well-brewed and properly extracted espresso to make our americano.
An americano will not only get its taste from the espresso we use but will also get its strength and caffeine. We can make americano with single, double, and triple espresso, depending on the size of the beverage we are trying to make. On the other hand, how large an americano will be mainly relying on the proportion between espresso and hot water. We typically make americano with a 1:3 to 1:4 ratio, meaning for one espresso of 1oz (30g), we mix it with 3.5oz (100g) hot water.
The story of how americano came to exist is an interesting one. It dates back to the years after World War 2 finished when American soldiers who got stationed in Italy found the taste of espresso a bit strong and punchy with coffee flavor. So when ordering an espresso, they asked for it to be made with more water to resemble the coffee the US soldiers were drinking at home.
Italians knew best that using a large amount of water when brewing espresso would over-extract and ruin it, so what they did was they brewed espresso as they usually would and added hot water to it. The drink's taste got preserved, but the beverage has expanded its volume. And because American soldiers were the only ones asking for their espresso to get watered down, local Italians named the drink they prepared for them an americano, after them.
Whether this legend of how americano came to be is factual or fictional is unknown. But what is known is that today, an americano is a coffee drink prepared and enjoyed by numerous coffee lovers worldwide.
Also, today, many baristas and coffee enthusiasts like experimenting with an americano. They experiment with different ratios and tastes by adding new ingredients and exploring new preparation techniques. And with that experimentation, some varieties of americanos have emerged and gained popularity. Here are a few of the world's most popular types of americano:
- Iced americano
- Sparkling americano
- White americano
- Americano Misto
- Orange americano
- Decaf americano
Iced Americano
Iced americano is a cold and refreshing coffee beverage with a crisp and sweet taste, very mild in bitterness, and fitted for warm summer days.
Iced americano, we typically make in a glass filled with ice that we add water in but do not fill up to the top. We need to leave room in the glass for two shots of espresso, about 2oz (56g) if we use an 8oz (240ml) glass. For a more miniature drink, we would use a single espresso with about 1oz (28g) and a 4oz (120ml) glass filled with ice and water. For more extensive drinks above 10oz (300ml), we would use a large drinking glass and make our Iced americano with three espresso shots. To make it at home, follow the steps in our guided recipe to make an Iced Americano.
To sweeten the beverage, we can add sugar to it. If we prefer a sweetened iced americano, add the sugar into the espresso before mixing it with the icy water, so the heat from the espresso melts the sugar quickly.
Sparkling Americano
Sparkling americano is an americano made with sparkling water or Soda water (Club Soda). Sparkling americano, unlike a standard, is a cold and fizzy beverage, and we prepare it in an 8oz (240ml) glass filled with ice.
Onto the ice, we pour sparkling water and leave room to top it with two espresso shots, about 2oz (56g). Many baristas and coffee enthusiasts today prepare a sparkling americano with a twist by adding a slice of orange or citrus and garnishing the beverage with fresh herbs like mint or basil.
White Americano
White americano is a traditional americano with milk added to it. We prepare it by adding warm milk to an americano created with a 1:3 ratio of espresso to hot water. More precisely, in a 6oz (180ml) cup filled with 3oz (85g) of hot water, we add a single shot of espresso, roughly 1oz (28g), and to it, we add 1oz of milk. For making a larger white americano, we can scale up the ingredients to use a double or triple espresso.
Adding a small amount of milk to an americano will mellow the taste of espresso, sweeten the drink, and tone down the astringency. Follow the steps in our guided recipe to make a White Americano at home.
Americano Misto
Americano Misto is another hot coffee beverage comprised of americano mixed with milk.
To make an Americano Misto, we first need to make a regular americano and add an equal amount of steamed milk. To be more exact, to a standard americano of 4oz (115g), we need to add 4oz of steamed milk to make an Americano Misto. The amount of milk will make Americano Misto taste sweet, smooth, and with reduced bitterness. Make Americano Misto at home by following our guided recipe.
Orange Americano
Orange americano is visually the most appealing of all americano variations. With its bright orange color, topped with black espresso with clinking and tingling ice throughout the glass and garnished with a slice of orange and herbs, the beverage is as refreshing as it is visually inviting.
For making an Orange americano, we'll need to fill an 8oz (240ml) glass with ice, pour fresh orange juice onto it, and leave space in the glass to top it with two espresso shots, 2oz (56g). Stir the drink or not is totally up to our personal preference, either way, it is a sweet and refreshing drink from the first to the last sip, as coffee and citrus flavors go very well together.
Decaf americano
Decaf americano - As the name implies, decaf americano is a regular americano without caffeine. The two components of this beverage are hot water and espresso brewed from decaffeinated coffee beans. And the two ingredients are mixed with the same ratio of 1:3 or 1:4 decaf espresso to hot water, as regular americano.