Americano, a coffee sold in every café and a must-order for coffee lovers, is quick to make, great in flavor and smooth on the palate. Office workers rushing to work often order an Americano at cafés to save time while waking themselves up. Here in sweltering Guangzhou, friends who visit the Front Street Coffee shop and don't know what to drink but don't want milk will basically order an iced Americano. But do you know how Americano actually came about?
 
The History of Americano
　　
One theory says: it's rumored that Americano originated with American GIs in Italy during World War II, who, unaccustomed to the intensity of espresso, diluted it with hot water. This drew Italy's disdain, and they called it Americano — "Yankee coffee."

Of course, there's another theory: after Schultz introduced espresso to Starbucks in Seattle, it was diluted with hot water to suit the lighter palates of Americans. It gained acceptance as Starbucks spread around the world.
　　
Americano is a type of espresso-based coffee, usually made with medium-dark to dark roasted blend beans. Hot water is forced under pressure through finely ground coffee in an espresso machine to extract espresso. Generally, an Americano is made with one to two shots of espresso diluted with hot water.
　　

 
Drinking AmericanoAmericanoWhat Are the Benefits?
 
1. Coffee contains certain nutrients. The niacin in coffee contains vitamin B, and roasted coffee beans have even higher levels. It also contains free fatty acids, caffeine, tannic acid and more.
　　
2. Coffee benefits the skin. Coffee can boost metabolism, stimulate the digestive organs, and is highly effective against constipation. Bathing with coffee grounds is a thermotherapy that helps with weight loss.
　　
3. Coffee helps sober you up. Drinking coffee after alcohol makes acetaldehyde converted from alcohol oxidize rapidly, breaking down into water and carbon dioxide to be expelled from the body.
　　
4. Coffee can relieve fatigue. To relieve fatigue, you must replenish nutrients, rest and sleep, and boost metabolic function — and coffee has these functions.
　　
5. Coffee can help with weight loss. Coffee contains magnesium and potassium, which help the body use insulin, regulate blood sugar levels, and reduce cravings for sweets and snacks. Caffeine helps fat cells break down body fat and use it as fuel for exercise.
　　

Why is drinking Americano considered healthier?
　　
Americano not only aids digestion and has a diuretic effect, speeding up metabolism, but also reduces bad breath. Sitting with friends chatting after a meal, a cup of Americano makes things more relaxed and harmonious.
　　
Americano is the lowest-calorie coffee, bar none — you could even say its calories are negligible. Even a large Americano at Starbucks is very low in calories, which is why many celebrities and artists love drinking Americano: it satisfies the palate without worrying about too many calories.

How Do You Make an Americano?　　

Having said so much about the benefits of Americano, do you know how it's made? Simply put, it's espresso plus water. Next, let Front Street tell you how Front Street makes an Americano.

Front Street Coffee's parameters for making espresso are: 20 grams of coffee grounds extracted to 35 grams of coffee liquid, taking 28~29 seconds.
 
The espresso beans used by Front Street Coffee are its own house blend, Sunflower Warm Sun Blend, containing 70% Honduras Sherry and 30% Yirgacheffe sun-dried Red Cherry. The 70% Honduras Sherry gives this coffee notes of whiskey and vanilla cream, while the 30% Yirgacheffe sun-dried Red Cherry provides berry-like acidity. Front Street's design philosophy for this blend is that it can be used for both espresso and pour-over. When used to make espresso, the flavors it releases have a distinct fermented wine aroma; on the palate, citrus and berry acidity immediately emerge, with whiskey aroma, and a finish of dark chocolate.

Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) Sunflower Warm Sun Comprehensive Blend
Region: Ethiopia & Honduras
Variety: Caturra, Catuai, Heirloom
Processing Method: Sun-dried & Barrel Fermented

 
Once the espresso is extracted, the rest is even simpler. Just pour the extracted espresso into water, and an Americano is complete.
 
 
Does Americano Taste Bad?
 
When this question comes up, in the vast majority of cases it's because people are worried about bitterness. As for why Americano tastes bitter, there are basically two reasons: ① the taste of the coffee beans themselves; ② over-extraction.
 

【The Taste of the Coffee Beans Themselves】

An Americano is nothing but water and coffee, so the taste of the coffee beans themselves has the biggest influence on the taste of the whole cup. So the first reason Americano tastes bitter may be that the coffee beans used to make the espresso are themselves predominantly rich and heavy in flavor.
 
The rich flavor of espresso beans comes from their robust regional flavors and darker roast level. For example, the Front Street specialty blend beans used for espresso at Front Street Coffee contain 30% Colombian beans mixed with 70% Brazilian beans. The Colombian beans give this blend its dark chocolate base note, while the Brazilian beans provide nutty notes and higher body. Front Street Coffee's roaster roasts this blend to a medium-dark level, giving it a wonderful balance: medium-low acidity and medium bitterness.
 

 
【Over-Extraction】
 
Besides bean selection, the bitterness of Americano also comes from mistakes during extraction, such as channeling causing uneven extraction, or grinding too fine leading to over-extraction.
 
Front Street Coffee often shares that, calculated by the weight of the coffee beans, only about 30% of the beans can be extracted, and that 30% isn't better the more you extract. According to the range recommended by the Golden Cup standard, extraction of about 18% to 22% is most suitable. Below 18% we call it under-extraction, which shows as sharp acidity and a thin, bland taste; above 22% we call it over-extraction, which we often refer to as over-extracted, and its typical signs are richness and bitterness.
 
 

For more specialty coffee beans, please add the private WeChat Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee), WeChat ID:kaixinguoguo0925

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