Espresso is a potent, flavorful, and full-bodied coffee drink. It’s usually prepared to order and served in small demitasse cups as a “shot.”
An Americano or Cafe Americano is an espresso-based drink. It uses 1 or 2 shots of espresso, as described in the previous section, and dilutes it with water. Like with a regular espresso, you can order an Americano hot or iced.
TASTE
Espresso is coffee in its most concentrated form. You’ll be able to taste every bitter, sweet, acidic, or toasty note that the beans have to offer. An Americano isn’t as strong or intense as a plain shot of espresso since it’s diluted with water. However, the flavors are more pronounced than in other coffee drinks.
CAFFEINE
Per shot of espresso, there are about 64 mg of caffeine compared to the 11 mg in an ounce of standard coffee. So for a double shot of espresso, you’ll consume about 128 mg of caffeine. With an Americano, the water doesn’t change the caffeine content. So the number of shots of espresso you use in your drink will determine how much caffeine the Americano will contain!