What’s the history behind Americano coffee?
The americano's origin is a popular story, not a documented fact. The usual tale says American soldiers in Italy during World War II diluted espresso with hot water. The Oxford English Dictionary instead traces the term to Central American Spanish cafe americano, a derisive term for mild coffee, from the mid-1950s. No inventor or date is known.
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Where did the americano come from?
The most repeated explanation is that during World War II, American soldiers stationed in Italy found espresso too strong and added hot water to their shots, and Italians called the result caffe americano, meaning American coffee. This is a popular belief, not a documented fact. According to Wikipedia, the Oxford English Dictionary traces the term instead to Central American Spanish cafe americano, a derisive term for mild coffee, from the mid-1950s, with an early English use in a 1964 Jamaican newspaper. The Italian term appears later than the English and Spanish ones. Nobody knows who first made one, so treat the soldier story as folklore.
Why is it called an americano?
The name literally means American in Italian. It refers to the diluted, milder style associated with American coffee, which was weaker and larger than a small, strong espresso. The dictionary record suggests the Spanish-language phrase was originally mildly mocking.
What is in an americano?
An americano is espresso with hot water added, normally one or two shots in a cup. A single shot is typically mixed with roughly 120 to 180 ml of hot water, but cafes vary. It is not the same as drip coffee: it has the flavor and light crema of espresso, only diluted.
| Drink | How it is made |
|---|---|
| Americano | Espresso with hot water added (often water first in some cafes, shot first in others) |
| Long black | Hot water first, espresso poured on top, keeping crema (common in Australia and New Zealand) |
| Lungo | Espresso pulled longer with more water through the grounds |
| Drip coffee | Hot water filtered through ground coffee |
What is an americano in Italy?
You can ask for caffe americano in Italian bars, though it is far less common than a plain espresso, which Italians usually call just un caffe. In Italy the phrase can also mean long filtered coffee, more precisely caffe all’americana.
Is the americano a cocktail too?
Yes, the Americano cocktail is a different drink: Campari, sweet vermouth and soda water. Its name is unrelated to the coffee story. People searching for the history of the americano sometimes land on the wrong one, so check which you mean.
Why do people like americanos?
They are a way to drink a larger, hot cup with espresso flavor and a clean finish, and they take milk, sugar or ice (iced americano) without turning into a latte.
People also ask
Why is it called an americano?
Americano means American in Italian. The popular story is that American soldiers in Italy diluted espresso, but this is unproven; the OED traces it to a Spanish phrase from the 1950s.
When was the americano invented?
There is no documented date. The soldier story places it around World War II, while the earliest dictionary record of the name is from the mid-1950s.
What is the difference between an americano and a long black?
Both are espresso and water. A long black pours espresso onto hot water to keep crema; an americano usually adds water to the shot, although cafes vary.
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