So you've mastered the art of making espresso on your home machine. Now that perfect espresso shot can be used as the basis for other popular beverages. In this post, we explore some of the more conventional espresso-based drinks.
First, a few generally accepted definitions or terminology. An espresso is a 1 ounce coffee beverage made from 7 to 9 grams (0.25-0.32 ounces) of ground beans (ground to an average of 325 microns), brewed at 9 bar of pressure (135 psi) at approximately 90 degrees C (200 degrees F) for 20 – 30 seconds.
A ristretto (literally, a “restricted” shot) uses only about half as much water for a shorter amount of time – a very concentrated espresso shot. The resulting beverage is sweeter and more flavorful than a full shot because none of the bitter elements of the coffee are rendered into the cup.
A lungo is a long pull of espresso brewed using more water and more time resulting in 1.5 ounces of beverage.
A doppio or double espresso is two espresso shots combined into one cup resulting in a beverage that is more concentrated than a single shot. It can still be made ristretto or lungo.
With that out of the way, here are some popular espresso-based drinks: