In the past, coffee shop menus only had simple black coffee and milk coffee—roughly the difference between Americano, latte, and pour-over. As the coffee world became more competitive, various niche espresso drinks were introduced to fixed menus, such as the Long Black that Front Street Coffee will discuss today.
What is a Long Black?
Rumor has it that Americano was invented to satisfy the tastes of American soldiers stationed abroad during World War II. Americans couldn't drink espresso as directly and intensely as Italians, so they diluted it with water until the concentration reached an acceptable level. But this "watery" black coffee wasn't to Australians' liking—they preferred rich coffee flavor and espresso crema. Baristas began adjusting toward "stronger coffee," gradually developing two Australian-style coffee drinks: Long Black and Flat White.
Long Black has a more intense coffee flavor compared to Americano, with a smaller cup size. The typical method for Long Black is to extract two shots of espresso (40g) into a cup containing 100-120ml of water, keeping a rich layer of Crema on the surface. A Long Black made this way delivers a bold coffee flavor and lets you directly experience the texture of coffee oils.
What's the difference between a Long Black and an Americano?
Many people, in order to distinguish Long Black from Americano, believe that Americano is made by adding espresso first, then pouring water; while Long Black, to preserve the crema, is made by adding water first, then the coffee. However, most baristas today don't fuss over whether to add water or coffee first. To improve efficiency, many shops add water first, then pour the coffee, so emphasizing this difference is not very meaningful.
The most obvious difference between Americano and Long Black is the amount of water added. Americano generally has more water added, with a coffee-to-water ratio typically between 1:5 and 1:8. This is because Americans are used to drinking drip coffee, which is very low in concentration—just a hint of coffee flavor is enough. But Australians pursue a stronger coffee flavor, using smaller cups and less water, resulting in a naturally higher concentration.
The coffee flavor depends on the espresso beans used. For example, the Americano served at Front Street Coffee uses Front Street's own roasted Sunflower Warm Sun blend coffee beans. Under ideal extraction, it should have notes of wine, vanilla, cream, chocolate, and berries. To highlight these aromas, Front Street Coffee conducted multiple comparisons and finally settled on a 1:3 ratio—preparing a cup with 100-120ml of hot water and pouring the extracted 40g of coffee liquid onto the surface.
Long BlackIs there an iced version?
Those who frequently drink Americano probably know there are two options: iced Americano and hot Americano. Among them, iced Americano, being affordable and refreshing, is often people's first choice. So does Long Black have an iced version?
Just like Flat White, Long Black doesn't have an iced version. If you want to enjoy an iced black coffee, Front Street Coffee suggests choosing an all-ice Americano—that is, an iced Americano without water. Without water, the espresso is poured directly over ice cubes, and a gentle swirl lets the warm espresso slowly melt a small amount of ice, thereby diluting the heavy concentration. When tasting, you can still experience the aroma and rich texture brought by the crema.
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The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
