Espresso-based Drinks

Most of the popular coffee drinks that many people order at Starbucks or any other coffee shop are espresso-based drinks. Rather than having regular brewed coffee in them, these drinks contain espresso (pronounced eSpresso, not eXpresso). Drinks, such as cappuccinos, caffe mochas, and caffe lattes, have espresso as the foundation and form the majority of popular coffee drinks.

The Most Popular Espresso-based Drinks

These drinks include:

espresso,
cappuccino,
caffe latte,
caffe au lait, and
caffe mocha.

These drinks start with espresso. Espresso is a concentrated form of coffee that is produced when water is forced under high pressure over finely ground coffee. Some people drink straight espresso, but variations exist.

Espresso con panna is espresso topped with whipped cream.
Espresso macchiato is espresso topped with foamed milk.
Americano is espresso with hot water added. Americano is basically a strong-tasting cup of coffee.

Cappuccino is another popular drink. Cappuccino is made up of espresso, steamed milk, and foamed milk. To make a cappuccino, fill up a cup with 2/3 steamed milk, add one “shot” of espresso (1.5 oz.), and then top it with foamed milk. On top of the foamed milk, one can add cinnamon, nutmeg, or powdered chocolate.

Caffe latte is made up of espresso and steamed milk. To make a caffe latte, pour one shot of espresso into a cup, and then fill the cup 7/8 full with steamed milk.

Café au lait is a variation of the caffe latte. For a café au lait, fill a cup halfway full of regular brewed coffee (not espresso), and then fill the other half with steamed milk.

The last of the more popular coffee drinks is the caffe mocha. Caffe mocha is made up of espresso, steamed milk, and chocolate syrup. To make a caffe mocha, coat the bottom of a cup with chocolate syrup (hot-chocolate syrup works best). Then, pour the espresso on top of the syrup. Finally, fill the cup 7 /8 full with steamed milk, and add whipped cream or foam topped with chocolate sprinkles.