Let’s talk about coffee, coffee types and flavors. Irish Coffee : Too many of these and you might have to ‘just crash here, bro’, because this type of coffee is brewed with whiskey, sugar, and a thick layer of cream on the top – and isn’t readily available in New Zealand Cafe’s due to its alcohol content, they’re more often found in restaurants. Be warned that trying to make this with scotch and instant coffee doesn’t work… trust us. Vienna : A Vienna is made by adding two shots of particularly strong espresso together before whipped cream is added as a substitute for milk and sugar. The Vienna is a melding of the strong flavours of straight espresso, with the smoothness of sugary cream.
Two less common types are Liberica and Excelsa, which are rarely seen, especially in the United States. The former is grown exclusively in the Phillipines and is not imported at all into the States. On the other hand, the latter (which is often considered a genus of Liberica beans) only makes up about 7% of the world’s consumption and are grown in Southeast Asia.
Next, the other very common type of coffee bean is Robusta. Rather than gaining its popularity through quality and depth of the brew, these plants are popular for for their high caffeine level and hardiness. While they do thrive in hotter climates and varied rainfall, Robusta beans are known for being able to put up with a much wider range of climates and altitudes. Also, they withstand diseases much better than other varieties. That resistance makes them better for growing in large crops. Higher quality robust tends to have a lower acidity and heavy body. These brews stand up better against things like cream and sugar, making them great for something like Vietnamese Coffee. And it works well in blends like Death Wish that are specifically curated for their caffeine kick.
Lungo – Lungo is often confused with Americano, but it’s not at all the same. Lungo is a long shot prepared by extracting double the amount of water with same amount of coffee grounds. In figures, it means, 50 ml of water is extracted with 7 grams of coffee. This results in extraction of more caffeine, but with dissolved off-notes of coffee. It’s a less popular drink but it’s a preferred drink for people who demand more caffeine. Caffe Crema – An extra long espresso drink served in Northern Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. It has different flavor profile than related drinks like Lungo and Americano due to different extraction process. Rough brewing ratios of ristretto, normale, lungo, and caffè crema are 1:2:3:6 and the average water part per shot is 6 oz (180ml). Cafe Zorro – This is a double shot of espresso that is added to water in a 1:1 ratio. Read extra info on Coffee Subscription.