“Would you like an Americano?” “I’ll just have an Americano.” Every time I watch a Korean drama, I always hear these familiar lines. As one of the coffees that offers great value and can be served quickly, Americano can be said to be one of the indispensable products in every coffee shop. Why do people like Americano so much? In this article, let’s learn about Americano together with Front Street Coffee.
Americano’s origin
As one of the mainstream coffees in the coffee world, Americano has always maintained a light coffee taste to this day. Americano was born during World War II, when American soldiers came to Italy. Because they were not used to drinking the local espresso, they would dilute it with water before tasting it, since only that concentration was acceptable to them. So Italians named this diluted espresso Americano, and it is also a member of the black coffee family.
Americano’s taste
Generally, a cup of Americano is made by mixing two shots (about 40 ml) of espresso with hot water. So whether in appearance or taste, it tends to seem relatively light. The flavor performance of Americano depends on the flavor of the coffee beans themselves and the coffee extraction process. Front Street Coffee believes that a good-tasting Americano should have a balanced richness, with sweetness returning amid the bitterness, and some may also carry slight acidity or other flavors unique to the coffee beans.
If a cup of Americano tastes scorched and bitter, and after drinking it you feel a catching sensation in your throat, then it may be that the coffee beans used were not roasted appropriately, or the espresso was not extracted appropriately.
Americano can be said to be the simplest espresso drink, because Americano consists of only two parts, espresso and water, while iced Americano has the addition of ice cubes. But do not relax just because Americano is simple. The simplest part is also the part that tests technique the most. Americano is often the espresso drink that best tests a barista’s espresso extraction skills.
All espresso drinks at Front Street Coffee stores use a “Sunflower Warm Sun Blend Coffee Beans” made from 30% Ethiopian sun-dried Yirgacheffe coffee beans blended with 70% Honduran Sherry coffee beans.
Before official daily service begins, baristas have to make adjustments according to the condition of the beans in order to highlight the distinctive wine aroma of this blended coffee. Front Street Coffee usually uses 19.5–20 g of coffee beans to extract 35–40 g of coffee liquid, with a time of 27 to 35 seconds.
The extraction parameters for espresso need to be adjusted according to different coffee machines, grinders, and the coffee beans used. Here, Front Street Coffee provides an initial espresso extraction reference: use 20 g of grounds at a 1:2 ratio & 9 bar pressure to extract 40 g of coffee liquid, in 25–30 seconds. Make corresponding adjustments based on the flavor performance of the coffee after actual extraction.
The water-to-espresso ratio for Americano
When making hot Americano, Front Street Coffee needs to preheat the cup with hot water, then pour in hot water, and finally pour in the extracted espresso. The ratio for Americano is generally between 1:6 and 1:8, and after repeated testing, Front Street Coffee chose a ratio of 1:6, that is, 40 g of coffee liquid mixed with 240 g of hot water.
For iced Americano, choose a ratio of 1:7, mixing 40 g of coffee liquid with 280 g of ice-water mixture, of which 180 g is ice cubes and 100 g is water.
However, this dilution ratio is the Americano dilution ratio that Front Street Coffee selected through many dilutions at different ratios as suitable for Front Street Coffee espresso. You do not need to follow it completely. Ultimately, the amount of water added still needs to be determined according to the performance of your own espresso.
Americano coffee bean recommendations
Front Street Coffee sells 4 espresso blend coffee beans, all developed according to the tastes of mass consumers. There is a balanced nutty profile, a rich and full-bodied profile, a slightly acidic and full-bodied profile, and also a particularly stunning profile. Everyone can choose according to their own taste preferences.
1. Balanced-tasting espresso coffee beans - Front Street Coffee Front Street Specialty Blend Coffee Beans
Made from Colombian washed coffee beans (30%) + Brazilian semi-dry-process coffee beans (70%), it has flavor notes of nuts, dark chocolate, and caramel. This comprehensive blend coffee is relatively balanced in acidity, bitterness, and aroma. It is neither too acidic nor too full-bodied, making it suitable for friends who are just getting into espresso.
2. Bitterness-focused espresso coffee beans - Front Street Coffee Front Street Commercial Blend Coffee Beans, made from Robusta washed coffee beans (10%) + Colombian washed coffee beans (30%) + Brazilian semi-dry-process coffee (60%), with flavor notes of nuts, cocoa, and caramel, and high body. Considering the diversity of the audience, Front Street needs to select intensely flavored coffee beans in order to create a blend with a strong taste.
3. Slightly acidic and full-bodied espresso coffee beans - Front Street Coffee Front Street Dark Cocoa Blend, made from Yunnan washed small-bean coffee beans (30%) + Brazilian semi-dry-process coffee beans (70%), with flavor notes of soft fruit acidity, caramel, and nuts. This Front Street Dark Cocoa Blend coffee bean from Front Street, with extremely high value for money, presents the most widely appealing taste profile. Whether you are new to coffee or a heavy coffee lover, you can easily accept this espresso coffee bean.
4. Wine-aroma-focused espresso coffee beans - Front Street Coffee Sunflower Warm Sun Blend Coffee Beans, made from Ethiopian sun-dried Red Cherry coffee beans (30%) + Honduran sherry-barrel coffee beans (70%), with flavor notes of rich wine aroma, vanilla cream, the sweet-tartness of berries, and roasted nuts. This espresso coffee bean from Front Street is named Sunflower Warm Sun, and just as its name suggests, the aroma of this espresso coffee bean is as comforting as warm sunlight, and its taste and flavor are refreshing.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
