Long Black Coffee

The world of espresso is packed with speciality drinks and specific terminology that can be daunting to first-time cafe customers. If you order a long black coffee in a cafe, you’ll get something similar to an americano at first sight. But, if you look deeper, you'll find a difference. 

Here's an explanation of what a long black coffee is, what differentiates it from other espresso-based beverages, and how to make one.

What is a Long Black Coffee?

What exactly is long black coffee? A long black coffee is more than just an espresso blended with hot water or an espresso pulled for longer than normal.

It's a cup of hot water, no more than four ounces, with an espresso drawn immediately over it.

To keep the crema on top of the drink, no exchange from a shot glass or another cup is permitted.The end result is a diluted espresso with no over-extraction but all of the wonderful bitterness and sweetness.

History of Long Black Coffee

Long black coffee is an espresso beverage that originated in Australia and New Zealand. One idea holds that it was created to appeal to the coffee preferences of American tourists, yet this drink is also popular among locals.

Some people mistake it for an americano, but skilled baristas can tell the difference. Although it’s made with water and espresso in the same manner as an americano, the sequence in which you pour is important.

Making a Long Black Coffee

The long black coffee is made by first pouring hot water into the cup, followed by espresso on top. This results in two distinct layers, with the foamy espresso crema on top. 

1. Choose your beans - in general, dark roast coffee beans work well and produce the best flavor.
2. Don't use boiling water; 94 degrees is sufficient.
3. Add roughly 5 oz of water to an 8 oz cup.
4. Fill the top with a standard double espresso or double ristretto. You’ll get more crema if you hold the cup high up, directly under the spout.
5. Serve right away.

What Sets the Long Black Apart?

The primary distinction between an americano and a long black coffee is how the hot water is blended with the espresso. 

A long black coffee is made by pouring hot water over espresso, whereas an americano is made by pouring hot water over espresso. By pouring the espresso over hot water, the drink preserves more crema than in an americano.

A long black coffee is made with less water than an americano. As a result, it’s more concentrated, and the flavor of the espresso is more apparent. 

It shouldn’t be confused with a lungo. ‘Lungo’ is Italian for ‘long,’ so that should give you a preview of what this beverage looks like in comparison to a standard shot of espresso. 

Its name represents the amount of time required to pull it.

Types of Coffee

Coffee drinks can be divided into two categories: hot and cold. 

The distinctions between drink kinds are determined by the type of base coffee used, whether milk was added, the coffee-to-milk ratio, and other additives.

Listed below are a few types of coffee drinks:

Black-Eyed Coffee

A black-eyed coffee is a straightforward beverage. 

A cup of regular drip coffee - iced or hot - with an added double shot of espresso. The name is taken from the appearance of the coffee after adding the shots.

While the black-eyed coffee uses regular coffee as well as espresso shots, the long black coffee sticks to just espresso shots.

Red-Eyed Coffee

Red-eye coffee is one of the most recent coffee-drink innovations. 

A shot of espresso is added to a cup of drip coffee to make Red Eye coffee. It has a strong coffee flavor and is served without milk. Compared to the long black coffee, the red-eye uses one less shot of espresso.

Cortado

Cortado coffee is a hot drink made with espresso and steamed milk in equal portions. A cortado is prepared by pouring a single shot of espresso into a tiny glass and then adding an equal quantity of steamed milk without foam. The milk helps to balance out the powerful flavor of this coffee drink.

The difference between cortado and latte is that cortado are created with equal amounts of steamed milk and espresso, and they may have no foam or very little microfoam. Lattes, on the other hand, contain significantly more steamed milk and are virtually usually topped with a thick layer of microfoam.

The similarity between the cortado and the latte is that they both use a double shot of espresso as the base of the drink. This is the same method used to make the long black coffee. 

However, there’s still a significant difference between cortado, lattes, and cappuccinos, even though they’re all milk-based drinks.

Espresso

Espresso coffee is created by forcing hot water through finely-ground coffee at a pressure of 9 bars. Espresso is a robust, concentrated coffee that works well as the foundation for milk coffees. 

Final Thought

A long black coffee should be savored. It’s typically served without milk so the flavors of the underlying espresso are more noticeable than in a cappuccino or flat white. As a result, it's critical that you use high-quality coffee.

You can also alter the espresso to give the drink a distinct flavor. Adding a more intense, double ristretto-style shot of coffee to the water is one modification. 

Long black coffee will be stronger, less bitter, and have a little more syrupy mouthfeel if you use a more concentrated coffee.

Did you find our blog helpful? Then consider checking:

• Long Black Coffee vs Americano
• What Is an Americano Coffee
• Americano vs Coffee
• Americano Coffee Recipe
• Americano vs Latte
• Americano vs Espresso
• Americano Iced Coffee
• Espresso Lungo vs Americano
• Americano vs Latte vs Cappuccino
• Americano Coffee History
• Best Coffee for Americano
• Americano Coffee with Milk