The 12 Best Espresso Drinks, Ranked

Ranked from most intense to most approachable. Start at number one if you want to drink like a coffee professional. Work backward from twelve if you want something closer to dessert.

15.9% of the world's 462,531 coffee shops are specialty. That is where most of these drinks live.

Walk into a chain and you will find three or four espresso formats. Walk into a serious specialty shop in Portland or Chicago and you might find all twelve of these. The 73,350 specialty shops in Pulled Coffee's database are where espresso culture actually lives.

"15.9% of coffee shops are specialty. That is where 95% of interesting espresso drinks live."

1 through 6: the intensity tier

1. Espresso: 1 to 1.5 oz, 63mg caffeine per shot. The foundation of everything below.
2. Ristretto: 0.75 oz, half the water, sweeter and more concentrated. Full ristretto guide.
3. Lungo: 2 to 3 oz, more water, more bitter. Full lungo guide.
4. Macchiato: Espresso with a foam dollop, 2 oz. Real macchiato explained.
5. Cortado: Equal parts espresso and milk, 4 oz. Full cortado guide.
6. Flat White: Double ristretto with microfoam, 5 to 6 oz. Full flat white guide.

7 through 12: the milk tier

7. Cappuccino: Espresso plus equal parts milk and foam, 5 to 6 oz. Classic Italian. Cappuccino vs latte.
8. Americano: Espresso plus hot water, 8 oz. Americano vs drip.
9. Latte: Espresso plus steamed milk, 8 to 12 oz. Full latte guide.
10. Dirty Chai: Chai latte with espresso shot added. Full dirty chai breakdown.
11. Breve: A latte made with half-and-half. Richer, higher calorie. What is a breve?
12. Mocha: Espresso plus chocolate plus steamed milk. The gateway drink. What is a mocha?

Find specialty shops that carry the full range in Denver and beyond. Try shops like Stumptown or Counter Culture to taste multiple formats side by side.

Related: Every coffee drink explained, How to order coffee.