Americano (coffee)

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Americano (also café américano) is a style of coffee prepared by adding espresso to hot water, giving a similar strength but different flavor than regular drip coffee (the strength of any Americano can be varied by increasing the number of shots of espresso added). This variety of coffee is known in Australia as a long black. Like espresso, Americano tends to be an acquired taste, and many drinkers prefer it black and unsweetened to fully appreciate the differences in taste from regular coffee. Americano also refers to a cocktail containing martini rosso, campari, and soda.

One popular explanation for the name is that it was originally intended as an insult to Americans, who wanted their espresso diluted. During the Second World War, American Allies in Italy searched for the "cup of joe" they were accustomed to at home, which local baristas tried to emulate for them.^[1] If this is the case, many American coffee drinkers are either unaware of or unfazed by the derogatory nature of the name, even in some cases going so far as to misinterpret americano as being a uniquely American way to drink espresso. Regardless of the true origins of the name, it is clear that americano was not popular in the United States until the explosion of chain coffeehouses, such as Starbucks, in the 1990s. Even now, Americano is far from the most popular coffee drink consumed in U.S. coffeehouses.

Though they both contain espresso, red eye is made by adding coffee rather than hot water.

Americano is made by pulling a normal shot of espresso, then adding hot water; unlike a lungo, the additional water in an americano does not pass through the coffee grounds.^{[citation needed]}

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