How coffee is drunk in America

Every country has its own coffee tradition. You don’t have to go very far to find different tastes, innovative recipes, and fascinating rituals steeped in history. One example of this might be Turkish coffee, which is made using a very distinctive method, rich in benefits.

Ready to leave on the next leg of our journey? Let’s find out together how they drink coffee in America.

Coffee in America

First of all, let’s make it clear that coffee has a completely different role in American tradition from the one it plays in Italy. For Italians, the coffee break is the ultimate opportunity to slow down, stop, relax and chat with a friend.

Americans, on the other hand, do not associate the coffee break with a rest, for two basic reasons: the first is that they are used to drinking coffee all day long, from breakfast time until after dinner. Then, the second reason is closely linked to the frenetic pace of life in the American cities, which makes no allowances for the pleasure of stopping and sipping a coffee.

In fact, most Americans drink their coffee on the go, and do not stop at the counter of a bar or cafe. In the past, this led to the need to create special take-away coffee cups that would be practical to carry around when walking fast.

Variants and types of coffee in America

Remember that when we talk about America, we are referring to a continent that spans 14,000 kilometres, a melting pot home to many different cultures, traditions and languages.

This is why it is not surprising if the recipes, blends and tastes in general related to coffee change every few kilometres.

Coffee in South America

In Latin America, for example, cortado, a tasty espresso made with coffee and milk, is very popular. A drink typically found in Spanish-speaking countries; it is one of the favourite ways of drinking coffee in Spain.

However, in Brazil, there is a real traditional recipe for Brazilian-style coffee. Delicious, light and with a slight alcoholic note.

Coffee in North America

In North America, if you happen to drink coffee in New York, for example, you’ll notice that there is no specific recipe. The tendency is not to drink pure coffee, but to flavour it with a host of different ingredients: milk, cinnamon, vanilla, cocoa, honey, hazelnut, and caramel. One long-standing version is the one known as “half&half” coffee, made with half milk and half cream.

In terms of preparation methods, the most popular is filter coffee, which is totally different from the caffè americano as we understand it in Italy.

Filter coffee, in fact, is prepared by percolation or gravity filtration using special brewing accessories. It is a real harmonic ritual that makes the coffee break a special time.

If you are interested in learning more about this fascinating coffee brewing method, take a look at the Aiello Lab Brewing courses, taught by SCA-authorised trainers and preparatory to the Specialty Coffee Association‘s international certification exams.