The word Americano in Italian means "American coffee" or simply "regular coffee." This drink is widely used in North America. There, this word denotes any drink obtained by combining hot water and coffee, but initially it was about adding water to an already prepared espresso.
The origin of American coffee
American-style coffee strength can vary depending on the amount of coffee itself and the added water. There are only two versions of the origin of this drink. The first claims that American-style coffee originated during the battles of World War II. American soldiers who arrived in Europe tried to get the usual taste and smell from the local coffee, for which they diluted the overly strong espresso with hot water. After the end of the war, this recipe became very popular in the United States. During this time, large coffee companies, trying to create a new type of coffee for coffee makers, took advantage of the situation and advertised Americano coffee. The second theory of the emergence of the drink says that such coffee arose in connection with the desire for a healthy lifestyle that swept America, since from the point of view of Americans, such coffee contains much less caffeine than traditional espresso.
Espresso is a coffee that is made when practically boiling water under high pressure (no less than nine bars) passes through the coffee beans. To create an espresso, it is best to choose coffee varieties with a rich, strong taste. It is preferable to use pure Arabica, rather than its mixture with Robusta. So the drink turns out to be stronger, and the aroma is richer. Traditionally, Americano coffee consists of one espresso (in some cases double) and regular hot water.
How to make American coffee?
There are two ways to prepare Americano coffee. In the first, coffee is simply brewed in a conventional filter-type coffee maker. The temperature is maintained at about 85 ° C, water should be at least two hundred and twenty grams per serving. This method produces much more caffeine in Americano than in espresso made from the same amount of coffee, because when using a filter coffee maker, the beans interact with water for a longer time, "giving" more caffeine to it.
The second method of making Americano suggests that you first make a classic espresso in a coffee machine or a special coffee maker, then just add one hundred and eighty milliliters of boiling water to it. This can be done in different ways. You can first pour boiling water into a cup, and then add espresso, so you will keep the creamy foam on the surface. You can decrease or increase the amount of water. The less water you add to the espresso, the stronger and richer the aroma of the final beverage will be.
In some cafes, recently, Americano is served separately - a container with hot (92 ° C) water and a cup of aromatic espresso are placed on the table separately. This allows the visitor to choose the sequence of mixing and proportions himself.
There is also cold American coffee; to obtain it, espresso is diluted with cold, not hot water.
