Espresso Knowledge and "Latte" as a Signifier

I have been thinking about lattes recently (caffe latte, not latte macchiato). As Kinsey notes in an earlier post, we sell a lot of lattes here at the cafe, and it got me wondering why that is. 

I) Expansion Of Meaning

My theory is one of cultural linguistics: Lattes are popular not necessarily because of the nature of the lattes themselves, but because "latte" has become a cultural signifier (and perhaps pejorative term) for the ongoing "high-end" or "third-wave" coffee movement; as in, "I just like a cup of regular black coffee, none of those fancy lattes or nothin'."

When someone not entirely familiar with the admittedly arcane jargon of espresso enters the store, they will sometimes cast about at the menu, glance to the tea board, and then say "I'll have a latte." Perhaps some of these customers do actually want lattes (Eric and Cathy, the owners of the store, are avid latte connoisseurs, for example), but I suspect that some who order lattes are ordering them merely because they have heard the word before. Simply because of its cultural cachet, it is a familiar term.

The meaning of "latte" has thus expanded from simply "two shots of espresso with 12-13 ounces of milk poured into them" to "a fancy coffee drink." It is an example of real-life synechdoche, which, sadly, leads to people making uninformed decisions about their coffee.


II) What To Do About It

If this describes you, feel no shame. Cultural linguistic trends are inescapable, and the esoteric knowledge of espresso takes time and energy to learn. We behind the counter don't always expect you to know what the difference between a macchiato and an americano is, and we don't judge you for not knowing. Knowing is our job, and we love to pass on our knowledge.

So next time you come in, if you're not sure what you want, feel free to ask about the strange Italian words on the menu. Let us know what you like and don't like in your coffee, and we'll try to make you something. And if you usually walk in and order a latte, just because you know that that is something that coffee people like, try something -- anything! -- else on the menu. We "coffee people" have liked just about everything up there at one time or another.

Back To The Classic...For Now

From when we opened in 2009 up until about 6-8 months ago we used exclusively Espresso Rustico for our espresso based drinks. It is a smooth, darkly sweet espresso that stands up in milk based drinks (a plus for a cafe that serves its fair share of lattes). Now that our two bags of La Forza are gone we are bridging the gap with Rustico.
***Bonus - If you mention this blog and the Espresso Rustico you can receive a free Americano (then give us your opinion on its flavor!) Offer valid until Thursday, March 17th 2011!

Rustico Specs:

18 grams

200 degrees

25 seconds

roughly 1.5 ounces
bright, darkly sweet, citrus

Use The Force, Luke!

Thankfully, Counter Culture has titled this espresso in Italian, otherwise I would be making Star Wars puns every time I served a drink.

Since I'm new to this (I only really started thinking about espresso once I started working here in August), I don't have much to compare this to; only our previous blends, which leads me to say: This one is DARK.

Our notable past espressos have been the Mauritania Triple Process and the Valle Del Santuario SOE, both lighter and fruitier espressos. La Forza is markedly different, most notably in how it tastes in milk beverages (cappuccino, macchiatto, etc.). Whereas the brighter espressos had their fruit notes muted, with La Forza, the milk draws out the sweeter, "higher" flavors without obscuring the dark, full body of the espresso.

The Force will be with us... but not for much longer; we only have two bags of La Forza on hand, so come on in and try some before it's gone.

new espresso.....la forza!

We just switched over to Espresso La Forza this morning.  It can be described as a smooth, full bodied darker espresso with almost a hint of brown sugar.  Excellent for espresso macchiatos and cappuccinos. 

Counter Culture has this to say about La Forza:  "We’ve christened our Southern-Italian blend La Forza, or The Force, as an indication of the intensity of the blend. Combining the smoky sweetness of beautiful, unique coffees from three continents, this rich, smoky espresso will yield a consistently thick crema along with its bold, memorable flavor."

Our Extraction Specs:

We've been pulling La Forza at 16 grams for 24 seconds with a temperature of 200 F resulting in about a roughly 1.5 ounce shot.