What Is an Americano

The americano is one of the simplest espresso drinks to describe: espresso diluted with hot water. Its simplicity disguises the fact that it is also one of the most variable, with the quality of the result depending almost entirely on the quality of the espresso it starts from.

The origin story

The commonly told story is that American soldiers stationed in Italy during World War Two found straight espresso too intense and diluted it with hot water to approximate the drip coffee they were used to. The origin is probably more complicated, but the story is good enough that it has stuck.

Hot water before or after the espresso

This is a genuine debate among coffee professionals. Adding hot water to espresso (the standard americano) produces a different flavor than pulling espresso into hot water (the lungo americano or long black). The latter preserves the crema layer on top and generally produces a cleaner, more complex cup. Most specialty cafes use the espresso-into-water method.

How it differs from drip coffee

An americano and a cup of drip coffee made from the same beans will taste different because the extraction method differs. Espresso extracts under pressure and produces a more concentrated, different flavor profile. Diluted with water, it becomes its own thing rather than an approximation of drip coffee. Neither is better; they are different.

When to order one

The americano is the right choice when you want a larger volume of coffee without adding milk, when you want to taste the espresso clearly but find straight espresso too concentrated, or when you're in a country where drip coffee is not readily available. It is common throughout Europe and Asia for these reasons.

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Related reading: espresso, pour over vs espresso.

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