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How to Drink Espresso

May 29, 2013 By Michael 17 Comments

Espresso. It’s possibly the least understood and most mispronounced way of making coffee. Most people seem to think it’s just for adrenaline junkies or art history professors. But when Luigi Bezzera invented the first espresso machine in Milan in 1901, he wasn’t trying to fuel frat parties or help the literati feel refined. He just wanted to make a really fast cup of coffee.  His initial design was dramatically improved by Achille Gaggia in the 1940s, who introduced manual levers to the espresso machine, hence “pulling a shot”.

vintage espresso poster

espresso stereotype #2

Nine Bar Blues

Slayer. It’s the hot rod of espresso machines. Photo by Brian Moats

Technically speaking, espresso is both a beverage and a brew method. Near-boiling water is forced over finely ground coffee at around nine bars of pressure; i.e. nine times the normal amount of atmospheric pressure. The whole process takes under a minute with most espresso machines, meaning you’ll likely finish your ‘spro before your buddy’s pour-over is done blooming.

Although espresso should be accessible to the everyman, aforementioned stereotypes and misinformation create a certain amount of intimidation when ordering a shot from the smug lit major behind the bar of your local craft coffee shop. Lucky for you, we’ve compiled a step-by-step process explaining how to drink espresso.

How to Drink Espresso: 5 Easy Steps

  • Order your espresso: “One espresso for here please.” should be sufficient. Most shops worth visiting only serve espresso in ceramic, but asking for the demitasse identifies yourself as a serious customer. You might be asked, “Single or a double?” Unless you’ve already had too much caffeine, make it a double.
  • Drink your water. The barista will probably serve you a glass of sparkling water. This is to cleanse your pallet. You’re paying a lot for that ounce of liquid, you want to taste it!
  • Skim the crema (optional). A freshly pulled espresso should have some nice, rich crema floating on top- a by product of escaping co2 and nine bars of pressure. Although thick, reddish crema often designates a good shot, it doesn’t actually taste very good. Some espresso aficionados recommend skimming it off with your spoon. This barista usually can’t wait that long to dig in though!
  • Give the espresso a stir. Espresso is not homogenous, the thick, syrupy part of the shot tends to sink to the bottom while the brighter notes float on top. To get a balanced tasting experience, give the espresso a good stir with the little spoon. Your taste buds will thank you later.
  • Take a sip. Let the coffee cover your tongue. Does it taste sweet? sour? Pay attention to the aftertaste. What lingering flavors are still in your mouth? Don’t be afraid to slurp!

Remember, espresso is like a magnifying glass, it accentuates certain characteristics of the coffee. The concentrated flavors may taste overbearing at first, but over time you’ll grow to love it.

So don’t be afraid or embarrassed to order an espresso. Any barista worth their apron will be ecstatic to pull you a shot.

Recommended reading for coffee professionals: Espresso Extraction: Measurement and Mastery by Scott Rao.

 

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About Michael

Michael Butterworth is an authorized instructor of the Specialty Coffee Association and the inventor of the Etkin Dripper.. He cofounded the Coffee Compass mostly as an excuse to visit more coffee shops. For consulting and training enquiries please visit butterworth.coffee.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Paul Butterworth says

    May 29, 2013 at 8:45 am

    I still want to open a shop called Xpresso.

    Reply
    • Matt says

      October 4, 2015 at 6:42 pm

      It’s been done. Many…many times

      Reply
    • Digvijay says

      May 26, 2016 at 8:53 am

      You seems to be a cool guy

      Reply
  2. Paul Butterworth says

    May 29, 2013 at 12:27 pm

    Also, you should post this video: http://youtu.be/lTC2Ihnsrf0

    Reply
    • Michael says

      May 30, 2013 at 12:00 pm

      If anybody could find a way to work the muppets into a blogpost, it would be you Paul.

      Reply
  3. Bailey Treherne says

    August 25, 2014 at 7:06 am

    Agreed, can’t wait to skim. Don’t have a good shop near me, so I’ll stick with my pour-over or aeropress.

    Reply
    • Michael says

      August 25, 2014 at 7:48 pm

      Good to hear from you Bailey! Hope all is well in Texas.

      Reply
  4. James says

    August 25, 2014 at 7:24 pm

    Great read!

    Reply
    • Michael says

      August 25, 2014 at 8:00 pm

      Thanks for reading!

      Reply
  5. Emily says

    October 30, 2014 at 1:48 pm

    Great post, and thanks for the info. I only recently learned about sparkling water with espresso. But a comment for you: you cleanse your palate, not your pallet…

    Reply
  6. Eldamo says

    March 20, 2015 at 8:57 pm

    Thanks for the advice, been doing it ALL WRONG!! reordering immediately!

    Reply
  7. nadia says

    May 21, 2015 at 11:42 am

    i googled on how to drink espresso and yours popped up! been nervous after ordering one, and while it tasted quite bitter on my tongue, after 2nd sip, somehow the bitterness seeps through.. haha what am i talking about.. Thanks for your article tho!

    Reply
  8. shantha says

    August 13, 2015 at 1:04 pm

    if a guest ordered an espresso what would your response be

    Reply
    • Allan says

      August 10, 2017 at 6:29 pm

      Well I’m not a batista and I don’t own my own coffee bar. At home I’d have to say “Sorry, I only have a french press, but I can make it extra strong if you want.” At work there is only a drip coffee maker and it’s not a restaurant-quality machine but it does have an all-steel water resovoiur so it is not making anything resembling espresso but it could be worse, it could be an all-plastic low’end pile of garbage dripulator.

      Incidentaly, I’m reading this blog because I’m sitting in the Broadway Roastery on 8th in Saskatoon (a local 3-store outfit that roasts & grinds coffee from a wide variety of beans… they’very got at least 40 varieties available fore custom roasting and grinding) sipping a double espresso. Next time I have one I’ll have to ask for the Crema slimed off and see what the batista does. Thanks for the tip!

      Reply
  9. CultiCuli says

    January 4, 2018 at 3:51 am

    Being an Espresso lover myself, I would like to draw your attention to a new variation of “espresso like” products. Since a few years you can find so called RedEspresso, made of real South African Rooibos. This is a delicious and healthy espresso drink for people who want to reduce their caffein intake.
    You can make a cup of RedEspresso with every espresso machine on the market, including the modern machines with the well known cups. The taste of RedEspresso is slightly different from the regular espresso. It’s worth to give it a try. I love it!

    Reply
  10. Javier Morales says

    May 8, 2018 at 3:00 pm

    I truly enjoyed my espresso, that being said the best best ever was my first Ristretto ( the barista cutted it short) while visiting my friend in Italy. It was bold and amazing, an better yet the place was waliking distace from the appartment.

    Reply
  11. Johny Morrisson says

    December 20, 2021 at 2:56 pm

    I never thought that there will be a special way to drink Espresso Haha!
    Nice blog by the way

    Reply

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