Gibraltar vs. Cortado – What's the Difference?

At first glance, both cortados and gibraltar appear as similar espresso drinks. However, there are plenty of unique traits that differentiate the two! 

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What is a Gilbraltar?

A Gibraltar coffee drink is an espresso-based drink that gets its name from its unique glass shape: the “Libbey Gibraltar rock glass”.  This coffee drink is made with two shots of espresso and steamed milk with a small amount of foam and pour into the rock glass.

What is a Cortado? 

A Cortado is also a coffee drink made with espresso and steamed milk. The proportions of espresso to steamed milk are usually equal, making it a less intense coffee drink than one made with more espresso.

TASTE 

There is actually very little difference in taste when comparing one against the other. Assuming that your local coffee shop made them side by side, they’d use the same two espresso shots and milk steamed in the same way.

APPEARANCE

Appearance might be the main differentiator between a Gibraltar and a Cortado. Since Gibraltars, traditionally, are served in a Libbey Gibraltar glass, they have a very unique look.  But that has more to do with the serveware than the actual make of the drink.

Want to learn more about these drinks? 

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