Caffè Americano, or Americano (Italian: American coffee) is a style of coffee prepared by adding hot water to espresso, giving a similar strength but different flavor from regular drip coffee. The strength of an Americano varies with the number of shots of espresso and the amount of water added.
In the United States, "Americano" is used broadly to mean combining hot water and espresso in either order, but in a narrower definition it refers to adding water to espresso (espresso on the bottom), while adding espresso to water (espresso on the top) is instead referred to as a long black.
The name is also spelled with varying capitalization and use of diacritics: e.g. Café Américano – a hyperforeignism using the French word for coffee and the Italian word for American, but with an additional incorrect accent - café Americano, cafe americano, etc.
Origin
The name derives its origins from WW2 when American GIs in Europe would pour hot water into espresso to approximate the coffee to which they were accustomed. It was then adapted in the United States by large chains who sought to create a marketable fusion of drip coffee and espresso to sell to a mass market.
Preparation
The drink consists of a single or double-shot of espresso combined with between 1 and 16 fluid ounces (30 - 470ml) of hot water.
An alternative of the same ingredients is encountered with the Long Black. The Long Black is the same as an Americano but prepared almost oppositely. An Americano is created specifically by adding the water to an already extracted espresso. This process destroys the crema. The Long Black is an espresso shot pulled over hot water thus preserving the crema.
