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Friday 22 November 2013

Navigating The Vast World Of Coffee Drinks

By Debrah Elliot


When you head to your local coffeehouse and take a look at the menu, you might have thought that the names of the coffee drinks were invented by some marketing guru who wanted the coffee to sound more sophisticated. Actually, coffee-related words such as latte and cappuccino have been around for a long time, and each name refers to the process by which the drink is created.

First of all, let's start with espresso. Some people believe it's a drink, some believe it's a method of brewing and others think it's a type of bean. The word espresso is the name of the beverage as well as the way it prepared. Any bean can be used, although many consumers prefer a darker roast. The drink is made by forcing extremely hot water through the grounds, which have been finely ground and compressed. This process creates a liquid with a much higher concentration of caffeine than a typical cup of drip coffee. It's smaller than a cup of coffee, but packs much more of a punch.

If you like the taste of a well-prepared cup of coffee but don't quite want the strong taste of an espresso, you might opt for a caf Americano. This drink is created by making a fresh espresso and then diluting it with very hot water. Supposedly, American G.I.'s requested that water be added to their espressos in Italy during World War II and that was how the drink came to be although some historians dispute this story.

Many coffee drinkers add cream to their coffee and many also prefer espresso and milk. There are several different types of milk and espresso drinks, including the ever popular latte. This is a drink that starts with espresso (one or more shots), and warmed milk is added and then a touch of foam. The cappuccino is kind of the opposite where you have more foam then milk and more of the espresso's flavor comes through. A caf au lait is another option, a blend that includes half warm milk and half coffee.

A few of the other common drink names include the macchiato, which is supposed to be just a shot of espresso topped with a dash of foam. In most American coffeehouses, it resembles a latte more than a true macchiato. If you love chocolate and coffee, you probably have enjoyed your share of caf mochas, which are a type of latte that begins with some rich chocolate at the bottom of the cup, followed by espresso and then the steamed milk.

No matter what coffee drinks you love, the best place in L.A. to get a cup is at Island Monarch Coffee. This Culver City coffeehouse takes its coffee very seriously. Beans are imported from Kona and South America and are roasted after they arrive to ensure the freshest possible flavor. Beans are used within just a few days of roasting, as well, and the water is also special. Island Monarch Coffee uses water that has been purified using reverse osmosis to truly allow the flavor of the coffee come through.




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