Seattle Food and Beverage
Coffee and Espresso Lingo

This handy Guide to Seattle Coffee Lingo is brought to you by our friends at Hotwire Online Coffeehouse with locations in West Seattle and Shoreline as follows:

West Seattle: 4410 California Ave SW. Phone: 206-935-1510.

Shoreline: 17551 15th Ave NE. Phone: 206-957-2000.

Look here for shorthand references and slang for Seattle-area espresso and coffee drinks, including Latte, Americano, Macchiato, Mocha, Cappuccino, and other espresso and coffee drinks.

Addshot: Used by baristas when relaying an order that requires an additional shot of espresso.

Americano: Also known as a Caffe Americano. An espresso diluted with hot water, ideal for the lactose-intolerant.

Americano Misto: An Americano with steamed milk. Similar to a latte without the foam (a Foamless), except that steamed milk and hot water are added half-and-half (rather than just steamed milk).

Barista: Espresso bartender.

Breve: Espresso with half-n-half or semi-skimmed milk.

Cafe Au Lait: Drip coffee and steamed milk.

Cafe Con Leche: Espresso with steamed milk to fill an 8-ounce cup.

Cappuccino: Espresso with foamed milk ladled on top. You can ask for a wet or dry cappuccino. This is the most popular coffee beverage outside of the US.

Cloudy: A semi wet cappuccino.

Crema: The tan-colored foam that forms on top of an espresso shot, as a result of the brewing process. The crema is composed of minuscule air bubbles composed of espresso film and forms a "cap" that protects the espresso proper from being exposed to the air.

Demitasse: Small cup for serving espresso straight, no chaser.
Doppio: A double shot of espresso. All beverages in our coffeehouses are served as a double.

Double: A less cool way to ask for a doppio.

Double Cup: An espresso served in two cups, just in case one cup might be too hot to handle.

Drip: A regular brewed coffee.

Dry: Foamed milk.

Espresso: Approximately a one-ounce shot of espresso made from Arabica beans, as opposed to Robusta beans, which are used in making regular coffee. Arabica beans, by the way, have about half the caffeine of Robusta beans. The word comes from the brewing method -- hot water is pressed by means of a piston or pump through finely ground, firmly packed coffee.

Espresso Con Panna: Demitasse of espresso topped with a swirl of whipped cream.

Espresso Creme: Espresso with an ounce of heavy cream.
Espresso Freddo: Chilled espresso over ice.

Espresso Macchiato: An espresso marked with foam. In Italian, "macchiato" can be translated as "marked," "stained," or "spotted".

Espresso Medici: Two shots of espresso poured over chocolate syrup and orange (and sometimes lemon) peel, usually topped with whipped cream.

Grande: 16-ounce cup.

Granita: Latte with frozen milk.

Half-Caf: Half decaf.

Why Bother: If you want a decaf espresso and non-fat milk.

Latte Pune: A mini-latte with a full shot of espresso.

Latte: Espresso made with steamed milk, if created by a good barista you will get this topped with latte art. This is a very popular espresso beverage in the US but not well known around the globe.

Mocha: A latte with chocolate. Usually chocolate is mixed with espresso and topped with steamed milk. The barista will ask if you want whip.

Mochaccino: A cappuccino with chocolate.

Nico: A breve with orange syrup and cinnamon.
No Whip: No whip cream. See also Whipless.

No Foam: Steamed milk without any foam.

Quad: Four shots, a double-double, in other words.

Rice Latte: A latte made with rice milk, instead of milk.
Ristretto: A short shot, but with the same amount of coffee as a full shot, just concentrated. This is the sweetest part of the shot.

Short: 8-ounce cup. Called a "short" because it is shorter than a tall. Be careful asking for a "regular" -- you might get a tall.

Short and Dry: What to ask for if you want to minimize the amount of milk relative to coffee in a latte or cappuccino.

Shot: Equivalent to a single. A double would be two shots.
Shot in the Dark: A regular coffee with a shot of espresso in it.

Single: An espresso made from a single shot, approximately 3/4 - 1 ounce.

Soy Latte: A latte made with soy milk, instead of milk.
Tall: 12-ounce cup.

Triple: Three shots, for those for whom a double just doesn't offer enough of a jolt.

Unleaded: Decaf.

Venti: A 20 oz. cup, apparently (taller than a tall, I guess), unless you're ordering a cold drink, in which case it is a 24 oz. cup (to allow extra room for ice, I presume).

White Mocha: A mocha made with white chocolate.

With Room: With space left at top of cup for either adding cream or preventing spills (while driving 70 mph down the freeway with a latte between one's legs!). With Wings: A cup with handles.

Zebra: A half regular mocha, half white mocha.

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