In recent years, an iced milk coffee called Dirty has become increasingly popular. The warm, rich espresso on top blends with the sweet, delicious cold milk, creating a unique alternating hot-and-cold mouthfeel. Its photogenic good looks are an added bonus, and many cafés have added it to their regular menus.

What is Dirty Coffee?

In English, "dirty" means unclean or not clean, so Dirty coffee is also translated as "dirty dirty coffee." The idea for Dirty originated from the "dirty food" trend that swept through 2019. At that time, Dirty coffee was not made the way it is now. Back then, milk foam or cream was used to create an overflowing effect, and then cocoa powder, crushed nuts, and the like were added to create a "dirty" look, just like the popular dirty buns at the time.

Today's Dirty, however, places more emphasis on the taste of the coffee. A double shot of dark brown espresso is poured over pure white milk. Gravity causes the coffee liquid to seep downward, creating a visual effect of "tainting" the milk. It is said that Dirty coffee first originated from a Japanese coffee shop,As for who invented Dirty, there is still no definitive answer, nor is there a unified standard for making it, so the Dirty produced by each coffee shop may be different.

How do you make Dirty Coffee?

Although the only ingredients needed to make Dirty are espresso and milk, Front Street believes that achieving perfect layering of milk and coffee and an alternating hot-and-cold mouthfeel still requires a certain amount of skill.

Since Dirty coffee mainly emphasizes preserving the crema of the espresso as well as the visual effect of layered gradation, ice cubes cannot be added during preparation, as ice cubes easily dilute the overall strength of the coffee. In addition, the protein and milk fat content of the milk must be high, and the milk temperature must be cold enough so that the rich oils can float on top. Therefore, Front Street suggests using refrigerated fresh milk or purified milk (Ice Blog) when making Dirty.

Since no extra ice cubes are added when making Dirty, besides the milk itself being refrigerated beforehand, the glass itself should also be kept at a moderately low temperature, so that the glass does not steal the chill from the milk when it is poured in. Front Street needs to remind everyone of one thing: when choosing a glass, be sure to check clearly whether the glass is temperature-resistant, to prevent accidents such as cracking during the freezing process or cracking when the espresso is poured in.

To ensure a rich mouthfeel, the cup size of Dirty coffee is smaller than that of iced latte. Generally, the cup size of Dirty coffee is between 180-220ml, while the cup size of iced latte is between 280-320ml. When Front Street makes Dirty coffee, first take a pre-chilled cup and pour in 150ml of fresh milk. Then use 20 grams of coffee grounds to extract 36 grams of coffee liquid, place the iced milk directly under the bottomless portafilter, and let the coffee liquid fall onto the surface. Note that the stream should not be too high, as it can easily shoot directly into the milk below, and then the "dirty" look cannot be formed.

How do you drink Dirty Coffee?

What you drink in Dirty coffee is its distinctly layered sensation, so after the coffee is made, there is no need to stir it evenly, nor is a straw needed. We just directly take a big sip. The taste of Dirty mainly depends on the coffee beans used. The Front Street shop uses its own roasted "Sunflower Warm Sun Blend," which is composed of 70% Honduras Sherry coffee and 30% Yirgacheffe sun-dried Red Cherry coffee. Sherry's whiskey, vanilla, and cream flavors pair with Red Cherry's tropical fruit and fermented notes, making the coffee in the cup rich in aroma and soft in mouthfeel.

The first sip of Dirty coffee lets you taste a rich coffee aroma, presenting flavors of whiskey, vanilla, and berries. From the second sip onward, as the cold milk blends in, you can feel a cocoa-like, creamy mouthfeel. After drinking, the sweet aroma of strong coffee and milk remains in the mouth, with very rich layers.

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The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.