If there are only two main types of coffee – robusta and arabica, then there are at least a hundred coffee drinks. There are classic drinks that have entered the menu of coffee shops around the world. And there are non-standard ones – those that are rarely found on the coffee menu, but a good barista can certainly prepare them to order.
Some original recipes can be repeated at home. We have collected them in this article, and at the same time experimented ourselves.
In This Article
Borgia
This coffee drink from Italy is made from espresso and hot chocolate in equal proportions, garnished with a cap of whipped cream and orange zest. The beans must be dark roasted, and in Italy they are often overroasted. They say that this is how “Borgia” appeared: not everyone liked super-bitter coffee.
Recipe:
- 60 ml espresso,
- 60 ml hot chocolate,
- 60-100 ml whipped cream,
- a teaspoon of orange zest.
If you don’t have a coffee machine, make coffee in a filter or drip coffee maker. Mix espresso and hot chocolate, pour into a beautiful glass, top with a thick cap of cream whipped with a cappuccino maker, and sprinkle with fresh or dried orange zest. You can add a spoonful of citrus syrup to the Borgia if you like your drinks sweeter.
“Borgia” is a fairly high-calorie dessert coffee that is noticeably invigorating, which is why Italians drink it in the morning.
Bomboon
The sweet layered drink also originated in Italy, more precisely in Valencia, but is now served in coffee shops in many countries.
Recipe. A shot of espresso and the same amount of condensed milk. The proportions are always 1:1. First, pour the condensed milk into a transparent glass, and then pour in a thin stream of coffee. You can take a cue from bartenders, aces of layered drinks, and pour the espresso on the back of a spoon. Admire the result, then stir and drink.
“Red…”, “Black…” and “The Fallen Eye”
These are all names of incredibly invigorating coffee drinks, ranked by their “killer” level. They are drunk not for pleasure, but to stay awake during an evening shift or to come to one’s senses after a fun, sleepless night. Such drinks are prepared by mixing espresso with drip coffee: drip bags, Chemex, and a drip coffee maker are helpful. Neither sugar nor cream are added, so as not to reduce the killer effect.
Recipe:
- “Red eye” is 30 ml espresso + 120 ml filter coffee.
- “Black eye” is 60 ml espresso + 120 ml filter coffee.
- “Dropped eye” (aka “Dead eye”) is 90 ml espresso + 120 ml filter coffee.
There is also a “Lazy eye”, when a couple of shots of espresso are added to a cup of decaffeinated coffee.
Be careful: the amount of caffeine in these drinks is off the charts – from 200 to 330 mg per serving. Let us remind you that the acceptable daily norm is considered to be 400 mg.
Oliang
“Oliang” (or “Oleung”) is a traditional Thai iced coffee, which is brewed from a mixture of coffee, cardamom and various grains/seeds, such as rice, corn kernels, white sesame, soybeans. The most interesting thing is that this coffee is brewed with a “sock”, that is, a filter bag, which is removed before serving the drink.
The Oliang coffee mix is sold ready-made in Thailand. However, if desired, it can be reproduced at home by mixing all the dry ingredients and grinding them in a coffee grinder. The proportions are selected individually, so there is room for experimentation.
Recipe: Place three tablespoons of the mixture in a “sock”, pour in boiling water and leave for 5-10 minutes, depending on the desired intensity. Remove the filter bag, add brown sugar to taste and a pinch of salt to neutralize the bitterness, pour in one to three teaspoons of condensed milk or cream, cool, pour into a glass with ice cubes.
Or you can do it easier. Brew a portion of coffee in any way, cool. In a saucepan, mix 50 ml of cream, a tablespoon of sugar, cardamom and almonds. Heat well (but do not bring to a boil), cover with a lid and let it brew. Fill a tall glass with ice, pour in condensed milk, spiced cream, ready coffee. Do not stir.
Mazagran
A coffee drink from Algeria. It is believed that “Mazagran” is named after the city of the same name, where in 1840 the French held out against Arab troops for several days. Due to food shortages and intense heat, the besieged began to dilute coffee with well water, and added lemon for flavor.
Recipe: It’s as easy as pie: pour a shot of still-warm espresso (or other strong coffee) into a glass with ice, add two teaspoons of lemon juice, a lemon wedge for garnish, and any syrup you like.
Piccolo Latte
It is a smaller version of a regular latte (piccolo is Italian for “little one”), served in espresso cups or small glasses.
Recipe: Baristas have not yet come to a consensus on the best and most correct way to prepare a Piccolo. You can take either a shot of espresso (30 ml) and 60 ml of foamed milk, or a portion of ristretto (15 ml), 40 ml of warm milk and 20 ml of foamed milk. It’s up to you to decide.
According to legend, the Piccolo was invented by a barista who was testing coffee beans of different quality in combination with milk. The latte portions were too large, so he began making mini versions. The drink in this form became popular with the visitors of the coffee shop.
Guillermo
Coffee with lime. And only with it! No other citrus will do. “Guillermo” is good both hot and cold.
Recipe: There is no standard, but most often the drink is prepared on the basis of double espresso with the addition of two slices of lime, the juice of which is pre-squeezed into the drink. It is not customary to add sugar, so it is better to brew coffee from blends with a predominance of medium-roast Arabica, so as not to wince from bitterness. Avoid milk, too – it will curdle due to the acidity of the lime juice. But you can add ice – you will get a summer version of “Guillermo”.
Rainbow Latte
It was invented in New York, in the Good Sort cafe. The drink really does consist of multi-colored layers. Each shade is created using various natural dyes – beetroot, anchan, turmeric and others.
Recipe: Rainbow latte is made with three types of plant milk – oat, almond and coconut. The creators of the recipe recommend whipping beetroot juice with oat milk, turmeric with almond milk, and anchan (or blue algae) powder with coconut milk. Add these colored layers to the glass in the same order, and then pour in a double shot of espresso (60 ml) in a thin stream. The layers will mix slightly as they settle, resulting in a rainbow effect.
You can also play with other dyes: matcha, saffron, dry pomegranate or raspberry juice. Bamboo charcoal is especially chic.
The editors of “Newcoffees” were most interested in this recipe, and we asked our expert barista trainer Dmitry Korsakov to conduct an investigative experiment. He used turmeric and turquoise food coloring as dyes. And the layers remained the same as in the recipe – oat, almond and coconut milk. The resulting latte can’t be called rainbow, but it was fun.
If you decide to experiment on your own, be sure to write to us in the comments what you got.
