How Does a Long Black Differ From an Americano?

A Long Black is hot water poured into the cup first, then espresso added on top; an Americano is espresso first, then hot water. That order matters: adding espresso to water preserves the crema and keeps more aroma, so a Long Black usually tastes stronger and more layered than an Americano made with the same shot.

Both drinks are black coffee, and both grew out of espresso culture. Americano traces to American soldiers in Italy during World War II who diluted strong espresso with water, while coffee shops in the United States later served watered-down espresso as a standard menu item. Water volume and pour order are the main variables to adjust.

When ordering at a coffee shop, Americano is often the most prominent choice on the menu and has become the go-to for many people seeking a daily energy boost or a healthier drink. But is Americano really a black coffee? And how does it differ from Long Black? From the perspective of Front Street Coffee, this article first traces the evolution of Americano from the United States to Italy, then compares Americano and Long Black in terms of water volume, strength, and flavor, and finally provides specific espresso-to-water ratios for both hot and iced Americano, along with flavor suggestions for Front Street Coffee's Black Cocoa Blend and Strawberry Candy Espresso, helping you make a black coffee that better suits your taste.

When you walk into a coffee shop to place an order, the first drink that usually catches your eye is Americano. As more and more people in China drink coffee, Americano has not only become a daily staple for a quick pick-me-up but is also favored by health-conscious consumers. This time, Front Street Coffee will talk about Americano.

Is Americano a black coffee?

From the name, we can roughly infer that espresso originates from Italy, while Americano is related to the United States. The popularity of Americano can be traced back to the 18th century. At that time, Americans were extremely dissatisfied with the British government's high taxes on tea imports, which led to the Boston Tea Party in 1773 and a call to switch to coffee. After that, the number of coffee shops in the United States continued to grow, driving the rapid expansion of the coffee industry there. By the 1880s, about one-third of the world's coffee beans were sold to the United States. During World War II, American allied forces consumed large amounts of coffee every day, which not only added a little comfort to their monotonous lives but also helped soldiers stay alert.

However, Italians have always preferred the intense taste of espresso, and American soldiers found it hard to accept such strong bitterness, so they added water to the coffee to dilute it to a concentration they could tolerate. Later, when Italians ran coffee shops in the United States, they also "did as the Romans do" and introduced "watered-down coffee" based on espresso, which became widely popular. This "watered-down coffee" later became known as "Americano." Since it consists only of water and espresso with no other additives, it falls under the category of black coffee.

What is the difference between Americano and Long Black?

Besides Americano, another drink called Long Black has also begun to appear on the menus of some coffee shops. In the 1980s, a large number of Italians immigrated to Australia and brought espresso machines to New Zealand, Australia, Melbourne, and other places. Australians prefer stronger coffee, and the lighter Americano clearly did not suit their taste. So Italians adjusted the espresso base and the brewing ratio to cater to Australians' "strong taste." In Australia, people usually use Black Coffee to refer to black coffee and White Coffee to refer to coffee with milk. Long Black is made by adding a small amount of water to dilute the overly high concentration, thereby highlighting the aromatic characteristics of black coffee.

After reviewing relevant materials, Front Street Coffee noted that the most obvious difference between Americano and Long Black is the amount of water added. Americano is made by first extracting espresso and then diluting it with water, with an espresso-to-water ratio of about 1:5 to 1:8. Long Black, on the other hand, has a stronger coffee flavor than Americano and comes in a smaller cup. The barista extracts two shots of espresso (40g) into a cup containing 100-120ml of water, keeping a rich layer of crema on the surface. Therefore, the first sip of Long Black is the most intense and full-bodied, and the subsequent flavor expression is also clearer and cleaner.

The brewing ratio for Americano

There is currently no specific standard for the coffee-to-water ratio, which means that Americano made at every coffee shop may be different. Everyone determines it based on the flavor characteristics of the coffee beans used and the cup size.

To make a richly aromatic Americano, we used Front Street Coffee's Black Cocoa Blend, an espresso bean recommended by many baristas. Under ideal extraction, it should have flavors of cocoa, cookies, cream, and nuts, with moderate crema and a balanced mouthfeel, making it very suitable for home users. To highlight these strengths, Front Street Coffee conducted multiple comparisons and finally settled on a ratio of 1:4.5, which means adding 180g of hot water to 40g of espresso.

If you prefer a fresher coffee taste, choose Front Street Coffee's Strawberry Candy Espresso. This is an espresso recipe specially launched for those who enjoy floral and fruity notes. It combines three major origins—Costa Rica, Colombia, and Ethiopia—and features aromas of roses, citrus, grapes, and dried blueberries. Made into an Americano, it has a sweet, fruity flavor like fruit gummies.

When making iced Americano, you need to consider the effect of chilling the coffee and how the ice will melt, so Front Street Coffee uses solid large ice cubes. Generally, the ice cubes are taken out in advance and then stored under refrigeration to form large ice cubes. This may slow down the melting rate of the ice and help maintain the taste of the iced coffee better.

Each ice cube at Front Street Coffee weighs about 25g. The ratio for one cup of iced Americano at Front Street Coffee is 40g of espresso, which means adding 4g of ice cubes and 120g of water, that is, 1:2.5:3. This way, the iced Americano is not too strong at first and not uncomfortable to drink, nor will it become too weak due to dilution from the ice.

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