"macchiato" news and stories

Coffee can be confusing: How come when you order a macchiato at a shop adorned with that ubiquitous green mermaid, the drink comes out as a tall, steaming cup of foamed, caramel-latticed milk kissed with just a hint of espresso and vanilla -- while at some other boutique cafes it arrives in a doll-house-sized demitasse?

It's all about vocabulary.

Didn't think you'd actually have to learn Italian in order to order a coffee? Well don't worry -- just one word can unravel the macchiato mystery once and for all.

Read on after the jump to find out more about macchiatos.

I'm not a coffee drinker, but the drinks you get at coffee shops seem really confusing to me. Espressos, Lattes, Macchiatos (which I thought was the guy from The Karate Kid), Caffe Mochas, Cafe Breves, Americanos. The terminology might be second hand to someone who works at such a shop (we hope) but I bet can be confusing even to someone who orders the drinks regularly.

Luckily, we have pictures! Lokesh Dhakar has a handy chart that explains what each drink looks like. I really need this to be done with other aspects of my life, so I can keep track of everything and know just what is in the food I eat, the books I read, and the movies I go to see.

[via Boing Boing]

Every fall, Starbucks adds their Pumpkin Spice Lattes to their lineup, much to the delight of the many fans of the drink. This year, it is joined by another seasonal drink: the Maple Macchiato. The drink is much like the company's caramel "macchiato," which is a latte with vanilla and caramel sauce added to it, only it uses a maple syrup sauce instead of the other flavors. It even has a little maple drizzle on top.

The drink has been test marketed in Canada and in some parts of the US, so if you live in the North East, you may have sampled the maple-goodness before. It is sweet, satisfying and very evocative of fall. All stores should have it in stock this week. Expect to see some seasonal maple-flavored pastries, as well, as the 'Bucks tends to pair their new coffee drinks with a similarly flavored muffin or scone.

Espesso is here.

No, you're not reading incorrectly and I didn't make a typo. Espesso is a creation of El Bulli chef/alchemist Ferran Adria and it is solid coffee. It is not frozen, but is made by combining "espresso and an ingredient [Lavazza, the company offering the product,] won't divulge, combined in a pressurized canister and left to set for 12 hours." The product is then sprayed out into cups, where it is so thick that it can be turned upside down and needs to be eaten with a spoon, much like a mousse with a strong coffee aroma. It is available in espresso, espresso macchiato and cappuccino flavors and the latter two flavors use milk that is solidified in much the same way.

Espesso was introduced at some locations in Europe in 2002. For the moment, it is available in three Chicago-area coffee shops - the only stores that Lavazza runs in the US - but if it is successful, we could see it spread to other coffee shops around the country.

Update: Dominic Armato, one of our busiest commenters, said that he had a chance to try this already at one of his local coffee shops. He noted that the espresso flavor "was POTENT. It had sort of a dense, wet mousse consistency" and that the macciato version, made with half-milk, half-espresso, was the best of the three espessos he tasted. Take a look at his full report, with great pictures of the product.

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