What is an Americano?

– A Complete Guide –

What kind of coffee drink are you having today?

Our endlessly colorful coffee universe offers a great variety of different drink options to us.

Sometimes, it can get overwhelming.

What to choose? And, what are actually the differences from drink to drink?

There are countless different coffee names on menus these days. Honestly speaking, we do not always know what every one of them exactly means.

The Americano has been around for some time already. In fact, since World War II.

Its fame and popularity steadily increased since then, especially in the United States.

After a brief decline, its popularity also took off in other parts of the world, again.

Due to its simplicity yet rich flavor, the Americano is finding more and more appreciation by many coffee enthusiasts.

But what exactly is an Americano?

How does it taste? Is it actually safe and healthy? And, how do you make one?

Let’s find the answers together.

Here is everything you need to know about the Americano.

Basics of an Americano

Some people are pretty mean and do injustice to the Americano.

They simply say that it is basically a ‘watered-down’ espresso.

But, that’s actually pretty rude and unjustified way of putting it. An Americano is so much more than some may believe.

It deserves to be respected just like any other coffee drink out there.

Nonetheless, its original making is very straight forward.

Take a regular coffee cup. Add one or two shots of espresso. And, fill the rest of your cup with hot water.

There you go. You just made your own Americano.

How to Exactly Make it

So, as we just learned. An Americano basically consists of water and espresso.

The more precise ratio of these ingredients is typically half espresso and half water.

Or, it can alternatively also be one third of espresso and two thirds of water. It depends, if you are using one or two shots of espresso.

The question is, how strong do you want your Americano to be?

Usually, the more espresso you add, the stronger it will become.

In most coffee shops, customers will even get Americanos served with more water than two thirds.

This is especially the case in the United States, where the drink is most popular these days.

Unsurprisingly, many Americans still find the espresso too strong.  And therefore, they even prefer a bit more water than usual.

That’s also the reason why the latte has become even more popular. It comes with a lot of milk to tone down the espresso inside.

Overall, the Americano tends to stand out among all espresso-based drinks. Due to it having absolutely no milk in it.

Most likely, no barista will ever serve an Americano with any form of dairy or dairy-alternative in it.

Unless, you are specifically asking for it.

How it All Began

The term ‘Americano’ literally means ‘American’ in Spanish and Italian.

And, as the name already suggests it was the Americans, who made this drink famous. However, this didn’t happen in America.

Most rumors trace the origin of the Americano back to World War II.

During the events of war, many Americans were stationed in the South of Italy. As many other people, also the American soldiers missed their regular brewed coffee.

Unfortunately, regular coffee was hard to come by in Italy at that time. Many Italians preferred and offered their popular espresso instead.

However, the American soldier found it too strong. Therefore, they would simply add some extra water to their espresso.

And, so the Americano was born.

It became a common way to best possibly mimic their coffee from back home.

After World War II, all American soldiers eventually returned back to the States. And, with them travelled this new drink, the Americano.

Over the next years, the Americano became successful all over the United States. Shortly after, it also started conquering the rest of the world.

In retrospect, nobody really knows its exact origin for sure.

But, the American soldier story seems the most probable one.

Black Coffee, Espresso and Americano

What’s the difference between these three?

All three coffee types are made up of the exact same ingredients. And, that is coffee and water, of course.

But there are some differences between the ways they are put together. In fact, this difference is what really makes the Americano stand out.

First of all, the main difference is in how we actually make a black coffee. And in comparison, how do we make an espresso?

Black, regular or brewed coffee is made by using the drip method. You simply let hot water drip through your coffee grinds into a cup.

On the other hand, an espresso is made by forcing pressurized steam through the coffee grinds.

A shot of espresso is much faster than the time it takes to make a regular cup of coffee. Usually, it only takes around 20 seconds to make an espresso.

This is because the water is forced faster through the coffee grinds.

Also, the coffee grind is much finer for an espresso than for a regular coffee.

Most baristas or home coffee makers use fully automated espresso machines these days.

As we learned already, an Americano is basically made by adding water to an espresso. Many coffee experts say that the end result is pretty much a diluted espresso.

In simple words, the espresso is weaker.

How Does an Americano Taste Like?

Because it is just made with espresso and water, many people just assume that it tastes like an espresso.

But that’s actually not the case.

Yes, the Americano’s espresso has been ‘weakened’ with additional water. Hence, it loses some of the kick of the usual espresso boost.

The end result and taste, however, is quite positively surprising.

It’s not like you are getting a somewhat cheaper espresso version. The drink actually tastes more like a richer, bolder cousin of the black coffee.

All About The Crema

A typical espresso is much thicker than regular drip coffee.

But when it comes to the Americano. This changes quite a bit. The body will not be as rich as with a normal espresso.  Because there is simply more water.

However, the usual smoothness of an espresso is also still in an Americano. You can expect a smoother texture in contrast to drip coffee.

By the way, what is one of the main characteristics of an espresso?

When you make an espresso. There is usually a layer of foam on top of your beverage. It develops and rises to the top due to the rapid push of the water through the coffee grinds.

Of course, we are talking about the delicious crema.

It is the crema that adds a whole other dimension to the Americano. Usually, it is a thin, tan layer of foam that forms on top of a shot of espresso.

It is the result of the mixing of oils and carbon dioxide. Which naturally occurs during the pulling process of an espresso shot.

Once you add water to the drink after pulling the shot. Your crema will mix into the drink.

This is generally the preferred result. As it mellows the flavor of the drink. And, that is exactly the original purpose of the Americano.

People wanted a smoother mouthfeel in a coffee drink that resembles characteristics of both an espresso and regular coffee.

The Americano seems like the perfect, tasty middle way.

What Comes First? – The Big Americano Question

Now, we are getting to a topic where opinions can widely draft apart.

The Americano only has two ingredients, right?

And, that is an espresso and hot water, of course.

But, what comes first?

There is quite a lively debate going on. It is about the order of water and espresso. And which of the two ingredients you should come first.

While there are some people arguing that the water should start. In fact, you can even find several online recipes suggesting this order.

Nonetheless, the majority argues in favor of the espresso coming at first.

There are two main reasons for it.

First of all, it would make the actual process of coffee making seem odd. Usually, a barista pulls the espresso shot and adds hot water after.

And second of all, a different order would dramatically affect one key factor.

As we learned already, it’s all about the crema.

When water comes first, the crema would not be able to develop its full potential. This is, if we pour our espresso into hot water.

Americano And The Long Black

When it comes to the Americano. There is one more well-known coffee drink we need to talk about.

The Long Black is strikingly similar to the Americano.

It is especially popular in Australia and New Zealand. This drink actually adds to the entire conversation, if water or espresso should come, first.

A Long Black is typically stronger and bolder in flavor than an Americano. Because, you would add less water to it.

As a result, less water will dilute or weaken the espresso and its crema.

Usually, coffee makers serve a Long Black by pulling one or two shots of espresso over water. Coffee enthusiasts claim that this maintains the fullness of flavor.

Especially, the distinct aromatics of the crema will come out even better.

I will leave the final choice to you.

There is no right or wrong way here. It totally depends on you and your own taste preferences.

Maybe, you can just try both options. Find out yourself.

And if you like, let us know what worked best for you.

In case you would like to learn more about the Long Black, you can click here.

How Much Caffeine is an Americano?

The answer may come as a surprise to some of us.

Compared to a regular cup of coffee, an Americano has less caffeine. This is especially interesting for people, who are trying to watch their caffeine levels.

According to the Mayo Clinic, a regular 8 ounce coffee cup (240ml) has between 95 to 165 mg of caffeine.

The exact amount also depends on the kind of bean you are using. Another big factor is the choice of roast level. Typically, the darker the roast is, the less caffeine will remain in it.

On the other hand, a regular shot of an espresso contains only 47 to 64 mg of caffeine.

Additionally, for the Americano, you are even putting more hot water into the drink. Therefore, the caffeine content can stay relatively low.

But less caffeine does not automatically mean that the Americano will have less taste.

In fact, caffeine has no real taste.

As we found out already, the Americano has a very unique, rich flavor profile on its own.

Can You Make it at Home?

Yes, you can.

As a matter of fact, that’s actually the great thing about an Americano. You are also able to make it at home.

However, maybe not every household can afford a semi-automatic espresso machine though. Alternatively, you can also use an Aeropress, French Press or Moka Pot.

None of these alternatives are actually ideal to replace a proper espresso shot.

But since we are aiming to make an Americano, these are more than fine.

In fact, they are not just fine but perfect. Because they produce a more diluted or weaker version of an espresso right away.

Just after a few tries, you will be able to hit a nice espresso flavor balance with your water-based Americano.

Go ahead and give it a try.

Final Americano Thoughts

The Americano is a great morning coffee option.

Especially, if you are looking for a morning boost without any additional milk or sugar needed.

You can either order it a shop or even make it at home yourself.

The drink itself is very simple in its making.

Nonetheless, an Americano displays a great flavor profile. Overall, it will certainly not let you down in terms of taste and energy.

It is easy to understand, why it found its way into the hearts of coffee lovers everywhere.

How about you?

Do you fancy an Americano?

What do you think should come first? The espresso or water?

Where is your favorite place to enjoy an Americano?

Feel free to share your experiences and thoughts with us.

Until then, stay safe, healthy and properly caffeinated.

Cheers!