The Cortado

On the surface, coffee is simple. It has a distinct smell, look, and taste, and its ultimate goal, beyond satisfying your tongue, is to give you a nice energy boost. But when you really get into it, coffee can be a bit daunting. Looking past the lattes, mochas, and cappuccinos on the menu, you start to become aware of a whole new world of coffee, hidden in plain sight. You’ve noticed these words on coffee menus, but like seeing a foreign language, you just kind of tune them out and move on. You think, “These coffee choices must be for people who know things.” People who have many leather-bound books and whose apartments smell of rich mahogany. And since you’ve been “working” your way through the same book for the past year and your apartment smells like Craiglist Ikea, you decide to play it safe and order a cappuccino. But what fun is that? 

It’s not like you don’t like to try new things, you just want to know what to expect before trying it. And who can blame you! But since variety is the spice of life, and we want you to be a ghost pepper, we’re here to give you the scoop on Cortados.

Cortado traces its origin back to Spain, where it’s derived from the word cortar, meaning “to cut”. It is traditionally “cut” with equal parts espresso and steamed milk, which aids in diluting the acidity of the espresso. It’s important to note that the milk is not frothy, but rather smooth, with some velvety texture. It can be described as a creamier macchiato, which contains two parts espresso to one part milk, with both being served in a small glass. Cortado is meant for sipping, so if you’re in the mood to chug some bean juice, this probably isn’t the drip coffee you’re searching for. 

That’s really about it! At the end of the day, coffee is a language just like music, programming, or slang. It’s all just code words that seem complicated and unfamiliar from the outside, but in reality, open a whole new interesting and exciting world once you become familiar with them. So next time you’re in a coffee shop and spot “Cortado” on the menu, you can confidently order one and enjoy being in the know. 

Class dismissed!