Coffee in Spain (INeedCoffee.com)

Coffee in Spain

Not just 'coffee'

When I first came to live in Spain eight years ago, I was amazed to discover the different kinds of coffee that you can ask for in a bar.

A cafe in Spain
Photo of women in a spanish cafe (Ed Simnett (c)2001)

First we have the various types of ground coffee, made in the espresso machines. This group consists of:

short black coffee
long black coffee
cortado (which is a short black coffee with a drop of milk) This type of coffee can be ordered to specify how much milk is used.

cortado 'short of coffee'
cortado 'with very little milk'
cortado 'with very hot milk'
cortado 'with cold milk'

cafe con leche (black coffee with milk)
American coffee (which is a larger black coffee in a bigger cup, only weaker as it has more water added)
cappuccino (this is only served in posh bars)
Suizo (topped with whipped cream)
caramel (with a squirt of condensed milk)
carajillo (coffee with a drop of spirits, anisette/brandy/whisky/rum, etc.)
iced coffee

Decaf

There are fewer options for those who don't want caffeine.

Some are made with decaffeinated beans in the espresso machines. In this group can be found the following:

cortado (in all its variations)
American coffee
cappuccino

Old man at a coffee shop in Spain
Photo of an old man in a Spanish cafe by Ed Simnett (c)2001

There are also soluble (what Americans call "instant") coffee options:

cortado
American coffee
cappuccino

Well, I think that is all the different types of coffee that I can think of. I hope that I have not forgotten any, and I also hope that you found this information of some interest.

Published: November 2002, Last Modified: September 2011

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Coffee in Spain

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