What is an americano?
An americano (pronounced uh-meh-ree-KAH-no) or Caffè americano is a coffee drink made by diluting espresso with hot water. The amount of water vaires greatly depending on the café, region, or personal preference, but a typical americano is two shots of espresso with 120ml of hot water. A 2:1 water to espresso ratio.
"Americano" simply means "American" in both Italian and Spanish, so there are other drinks that have the same name, including:
- a cocktail made with vermouth, campari, and soda water
- an aperetif made with quinine
Americano origins
Despite its name, the Americano doesn’t originate from the Americas, but from Italy! The likely origin for the name ’Americano’ probably derives from when American GI’s in Italy during the Second World War would ask for their espressos to be diluted to imitate the brewed coffee they were used to in their homeland.
Americano ingredients
An americano only has two ingredients, espresso and hot water.
The amounts are non-specific, but typically it's made 60ml of espresso and 120ml of hot water.
How to make an Americano?
Making an americano is extremely simple – so long as you know how to make an espresso.
- Pull two shots of espresso into a coffee cup
- Pour 120ml of hot water over the espresso
That's it.
Americano vs long black
An americano is almost indistinguishable from a long black. The only difference is the order you put the water and the espresso into the cup.
In an americano the espresso goes in the cup first, followed by the hot water.
In a long black the hot water is poured into the cup first, and then the espresso is pulled directly onto the hot water.
Does this make a difference to the taste? A little bit, the long black will have a stronger initial hit due to the espresso sitting on top of the water.