Is a long black stronger than an Americano?

A long black is made by pouring water into the cup first, then adding espresso; an Americano is built the other way around, espresso first, then water. Because the espresso sits on top in a long black, it keeps more crema and tastes stronger and more concentrated per sip. An Americano blends more evenly, so every mouthful stays consistent from start to finish.

Both drinks contain only espresso and water, so the bean choice drives the final flavor. A classic espresso blend, for example a dark roast combining beans from Brazil, Indonesia and Vietnam, extracts dense crema and works well in either a diluted Americano or a milk-based latte. The Americano's origin is often traced to World War II, when US soldiers preferred a milder cup.

Both Long Black and Americano are black coffees made by adding water to espresso, but they differ significantly in preparation order, strength, flavor expression, and even their origins. Americano originated during World War II from American soldiers' preference for milder coffee; it is made by pouring espresso first, then adding water. Long Black was born in Australia and is made by adding water first, then pouring espresso, resulting in a higher coffee concentration. Because the order of adding water affects how well the water and espresso blend, Americano tastes consistent in every sip, while Long Black shows a noticeable difference between the first few sips and those that follow. This article uses Front Street's classic espresso blend as an example to break down the differences and characteristics of the two in detail.

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When it comes to Americano and Long Black, everyone is familiar with them—both are black coffees made by adding water to espresso. The most widely known difference lies in the order of addition: Americano puts in the espresso first and then pours water, while Long Black does the opposite—pouring water first, then adding espresso. Because of this, many friends—including Front Street when we first encountered it—have wondered: they are both black coffees made with espresso and water, is it really necessary to distinguish them so precisely?

In fact, it really is necessary. Although the preparation steps seem to differ by only a tiny detail, the taste and mouthfeel after sipping are vastly different. And beyond how the drinks themselves perform, their respective origins are completely different as well.

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But first, Front Street should clarify one point: whether Americano or Long Black, since the ingredients are only espresso and water, the final flavor depends on the coffee beans chosen. Here Front Street uses a classic espresso blend, a recipe combining beans from three origins—Brazil, Indonesia, and Vietnam—and employing a dark roast, which maximizes the coffee's rich aroma and makes it easy to extract abundant, dense crema. It is suitable for making a diluted Americano or a milk-based latte, and can be purchased from Front Street's Taobao store or Front Street's Tmall flagship store.

Americano

Everyone should be more than familiar with Americano—it frequently appears in Front Street's articles and is the most widely recognized representative of black coffee.

Americano was born after World War II. At the time, American soldiers with a preference for milder flavors could not get used to the extremely strong espresso, so they asked cafés to add water to it. Once the espresso was diluted with water, the flavors that had been locked in were released, and it was no longer as intense and harsh as before, so this "specially customized" coffee quickly won the favor of American soldiers. For convenience of ordering, this drink was named "Americano."

Long Black

The origin of the name Long Black is also quite interesting. It was born in Australia. Locals in Australia do not call espresso "Espresso" but rather "Short Black." After adding a certain amount of water to a Short Black, people called it a Long Black.

So what exactly is the difference between the two? First, it shows in the concentration.

Difference in concentration

Compared with other coffee drinks, Americano does not have many strict rules regarding its preparation ratio. In early cafés, to serve drinks quickly, they would simply place the cup under the portafilter spout to catch the espresso, then add hot water to about nine-tenths full—doing whatever was fastest, without much attention to detail.

Because water does not change the coffee's own taste, even now Americano is still made in whatever way is most convenient. However, it is certain that the vast majority of cafés keep their Americano within a ratio range of 1:4 to 4.5. Americano made in this range has moderate concentration, prominent flavor, and is very easy to drink.

Australians, on the other hand, have a particular fondness for strong coffee, as can be clearly seen from the Flat White. Therefore, they also have high concentration requirements for the Long Black, which is only added with water. Like the Flat White, the coffee can only be slightly diluted. Generally speaking, the ratio for Long Black is around 1:3.

So in terms of concentration, Americano and Long Black differ greatly. Americano has a moderate coffee concentration, while Long Black has a higher coffee concentration.

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Difference in taste

Setting concentration aside, even when made with the same ratio, Long Black and Americano will differ in taste. Why? Because the degree of blending between water and coffee is not the same.

It is like shaking the carafe after brewing pour-over coffee—the purpose is to fully mix coffees of different concentrations in the carafe, ensuring that every sip has a consistent concentration and taste.

Americano is made by pouring espresso first and then adding water, so the water poured in afterward can continue to blend with the espresso. Not only that, when the hot water is poured in, it also breaks up the crema, causing the flavor compounds and fine particles contained in the crema to mix into the water. Therefore, the final Americano, because the water and coffee are fully blended, tastes roughly the same in flavor and concentration with every sip.

Long Black, however, is made by pouring water first and then adding espresso. Because the espresso gathers together and is too concentrated, it does not blend evenly into the water. At the same time, the crema floats on the surface because it is lighter in mass. If you drink it directly without stirring, the taste and concentration in the first few sips will definitely differ from those that follow, because the coffee and water are not evenly blended.

So both the ratio and the order in which the espresso and water are added will change the taste of a drink. This is why Long Black and Americano need to be distinguished from each other—the essence they convey and express is completely different.

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