The Piccolo latte is an espresso drink made with espresso and steamed milk, served in a relatively small cup, typically only 90–100ml in capacity, and is therefore also known as a mini version of a hot latte. Because baristas use lighter-roasted coffee beans to make it, the coffee aroma is rich but not overpowering.

Why is the Piccolo latte so small?

The Piccolo latte comes from Australia. When we order a Piccolo in Sydney, the barista will serve you a hot milk coffee of only 3–4 ounces (88–118ml), usually in a glass. The coffee aroma is delicate, and on the first sip you get both the creamy smoothness of milk and a rich coffee flavor. Even after finishing it, the fragrance lingers in your mouth, and you may even feel a little "not quite satisfied." So why is the Piccolo so small?

The Piccolo first appeared because roasters or baristas wanted to test the harmony between coffee beans and milk, but did not want to make a large 200–300ml latte for evaluation, so they thought of reducing the proportion of milk. Later, baristas introduced this "small latte" to the menu for customers who did not want to take in too much caffeine or did not want to drink a large latte. Some friends may wonder: the price is about the same as a latte, but the cup is so small—wouldn't that be a "loss"?

With the development of specialty coffee, coffee people began to pursue coffees with various regional flavors, such as fruity and floral notes. Various refined single-origin coffees have also been used in espresso drinks. With the large cup size of a latte, the proportion of milk blended in is higher, so it is more like coffee-flavored milk, leaning toward a balanced taste, and cannot highlight the characteristics of the beans. Therefore, baristas worked on presenting distinctive flavors with a smaller cup of milk coffee, adding a small amount of sweet hot milk to support the characteristics of the coffee beans. In short, it is for the sake of good taste, so it is not a loss, right?

So how do you make a Piccolo latte?

Friends who have come to Front Street Coffee stores to drink coffee should have noticed that the espresso drinks offered by Front Street do not include the Piccolo latte. Here, Front Street tries to recreate this "uncommon" drink and see how it tastes.

To make a Piccolo, Front Street uses a small cup of about 90–100ml, with a coffee-to-milk ratio of 1:5, and preheats it in advance to ensure the drinking experience of the coffee as much as possible. Here, a single Ristretto is used as the base. Ristretto means "restricted" in Italian, and is also called extra-concentrated espresso. Usually only the front and middle sections of the Espresso are taken, so the taste is stronger and the flavor is more concentrated. Front Street uses 20 grams of coffee grounds, extracting 28 grams of coffee liquid in 20–25 seconds. A single Ristretto is 14 grams, which is poured into the cup first.

The milk steaming part is more particular; you should know that the less milk there is, the harder it is to steam. Front Street chooses a 350ml milk pitcher and pours in 100ml of milk. A Piccolo does not need to be level with the rim of the cup like a Flat White, so it retains a milk foam layer similar to a latte, about 0.3–0.5cm thick. The milk steaming temperature is controlled between 55°C and 60°C, which can ensure it will not burn your mouth when you drink it. Blend it as evenly as possible with the Ristretto, and begin pouring latte art when the cup is seven-tenths full. A freshly made Piccolo is best when drunk immediately.

The flavor of coffee comes from the coffee beans used. The espresso drinks offered at Front Street stores are all extracted from Front Street's own roasted "Sunflower Warm Sun Blend Coffee Beans." The Piccolo made by Front Street presents aromas of vanilla, cream, chocolate milk, and whiskey bonbon chocolate, as well as the sweet-tartness of berries. The coffee flavor is full, the milk is creamy and fragrant, and the aftertaste is very long-lasting.

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