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Author:
Franco Salzillo
The Americano became a thing when American soldiers in Europe during the big wars ordered unusually tall cups of coffee in Italy’s coffee shops, specialized in small espresso shots. Ordering coffee American-style became synonym with a diluted espresso — and although it doesn’t sound all that nice, it’s actually quite tasty.
Starbucks makes a particularly good Americano — this one’s one of the most robust out there, and it’s even better over ice. Let’s make our own version of it! This is my take on Starbucks’ iced Americano. Get ready to make yourself one strong but refreshing drink!
If you want to make a reliable version of this cold drink, you need the best coffee you can get. You’ll need two espresso shots, better if made with 100% Arabica dark roast coffee — you can even get your beans from Starbucks to make the real deal.
You’ll also need cold water to dilute the coffee and a cup of fresh ice. There’s room for creativity here as well. Choose your favorite sweetener and add milk, cream or creamer to give the drink a richer mouthfeel — these are all optional, of course.
Brew the espresso and combine it with the cold water. Make sure it’s stronger than your average Americano, though, as it will still get diluted a bit — if too weak, the iced Americano will be a bland mess.
Once the concentrated coffee is just right, pour it over ice. Here’s your chance to sweeten your Americano and perhaps add some milk. Go crazy here. This is also the opportunity to add chocolate syrup, caramel sauce or a scoop of ice cream to your drink! Americanos can be as straightforward or as complicated as you want. Your coffee, your rules!
This is your go-to, grab-and-go drink for warm evenings when you need a caffeine boost while keeping your cool.
Make a pitcher-sized iced Americano and keep it in the fridge; that way, you’ll always have a tasty drink in hand, and it’s so inexpensive to make, it’s practically free! You don’t get those at your local Starbucks!
For the pastry:
Brew the espresso, either with an espresso machine, stovetop mocha pot or pod coffee maker. You can also use a strong drip of filter coffee.
Combine the espresso with the cold water and pour over ice in your serving glass.
Sweeten to taste and optionally add cream or milk.
