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If you’ve seen it on the menu and asked yourself “what is a cortado”, this is for you!
Since diving into the local coffee scene, I’ve learned there is more to the world of coffee than just espresso. There are drinks like a macchiato, which by the way is REALLY very different than the Starbucks version. Drinks like the flat white and cortado are gaining popularity as consumers are learning there is much more to coffee than mochas and lattés. One of my co-workers moved from Seattle and his favorite drink is a cortado. What is THAT?! I had never heard of such a thing. Well, I soon found out this is one of my favorite ways to drink an espresso shot.
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What is a cortado?
Also knows as a gibraltar, a cortado is rooted in the Spanish verb “cortar” which translates to “to cut” in English. It was named this by the Spanish because milk is used to ‘cut’ the acidity from the espresso shot. The French have their version, noisette and the Cubans have their version, a cordito, cut with sweetened condensed milk. All versions are the same, just the milk may be a bit different. A cortado is a double shot of espresso (2 oz) with between 1-2 oz of steamed milk served in a gibralter glass, hence the name. If you get a really good barista, they will craft a pretty little design on top of your cortado!
At Bad Owl where I find has the BEST cortados, they serve it with a glass of sparkling water. The sparkling water helps to cleanse the palate before and after enjoying the cortado. Ever had a taste of coffee after your freshly brushed teeth? Bleh. Gross. Have a sip of sparkling water after you drink coffee and bye bye coffee breath!
How is it different?
A cortado is in the line of espresso drinks that contain milk. You’ve heard of a cappuccino, right? A shot of espresso topped with steamed milk served in a cute little cup that you can only fit your index finger around, yeah that’s the cappuccino. It’s basically the same as a cortado, but the milk isn’t as hot. A flat white is pretty much the same as a cortado, except the milk has more of a velvety texture due to how it is steamed. “Flat” meaning no air allowed to create bubbles or foam in the milk. A macchiato has the least amount of milk than any of the rest; only about a half ounce is used with the espresso. Contrary to the popular ‘macchiato’ at Starbucks, it’s not milk heavy. Then finally there’s the latté which has the most milk of all of the drinks, 6-20 ounces of milk.
Why it’s going to be your favorite
I rarely drink shots of espresso, however after having a cortado, I’m all in. It has the perfect balance of creamy texture from the espresso shot and the right amount of sweetness from the touch of milk. It’s not bitter and doesn’t need any sugar added to it. Plus, it’s the right amount of coffee to sip while visiting with friends! Next time you visit your local coffee shop (and it’s not Starbucks *wink wink*) ask for a cortado and try it out. If you’re on Instagram, tag me in your picture of it #theespressoexplorer!
That sounds awesome! Do you think it would (or have you seen it) work as well with coconut milk? Or is it too thin?
That’s a great question! I would think it would work fine only because it’s such a small amount and you would still get the creaminess from the cream top of the espresso shot. I’ll give it a “shot” the next time I go to Bad Owl and let you know!
I am not a coffee drinker but now I want to try a Cortado!
Yay! It’s delicious when it’s made right! Let me know how you like it when you try one!
I just came back from Germany and my daughter introduced me to Cortado! Oh boy! I am hooked from then on. I basically searched every coffee place for cortado every day it beats every kind of coffee out there. Now I am back in the States and I am looking for where I can get Cortado! Its just sooooo good!
It really is! I have found that the best drink to gauge not only good espresso but to test the skills of a great barista is a cortado! If they can make a cortado with the perfect cream top, then you know they are passionate about coffee. Glad you loved it!
Very interesting article. I will look for a Cortado here in Vancouver, BC. By the way, there is a large Asian population here in Vancouver, Canada and a lot of Vietnamese coffee houses here. Have you tried a Vietnamese Egg Coffee? Yes, it’s an egg yoke beaten with condensed milk till they foam up and then French espresso poured on it. Mmmm!! It’s simply FANTASTIC!
I have not tried It! It sounds super interesting and I bet it added to the creaminess! I’ll have to see if I can find a Vietnamese coffee house here and find out if they have it! I’ll keep you posted!