Triple X

You will never see a barista order any kind of espresso drink as a triple, or with, as it has been unfortunately branded, "an extra shot."

I'm sticking with my declaration that as far as espresso is concerned double is standard. The single shot is fine when needed, but the triple is generally unacceptable. I believe the biggest reason people must be ordering espresso this way is the fact that the drink they are consuming isn't strong enough. Fair enough, but I also believe that if the Modern Espresso Customer in America knew more about what they were being served they may reconsider. They would reconsider, and realize they need to downsize rather than upsize.

Indicative of this is the woman who looks at our menu, sees "espresso" as the first listing and the cheapest, and wonders aloud, "Espresso? No, I don't need that much caffeine.... I'll have a large latte." The logic is stupifying for a barista, but for the woman, she has no idea. She doesn't know that what she has ordered is in fact the very espresso she passed over, drowned in a sea of frothed milk. She doesn't know that making that latte as large as she wants it to be, there is only additional milk, and no additional coffee. To be fair, with the volume of that latte, her caffeine intake will be much slower than if she had ordered the espresso proper, but, honey, it's all in the delivery.

So for the customer who fancies him or herself a little more savvy, a little more hip to what's going on in the latte world, he or she may order an "extra shot" in their latte. Fine, I'll take it over death by milk, but ordering a three-shot latte or cappuccino does a few things, mainly for me it will increase the possibility of your espresso losing its freshness. I've heard that espresso has a half-life of something like 30 seconds. If your barista is letting the espresso sit out while pulling that extra shot, the crema is dissapating and the freshness (raison d'etre for espresso) is exiting.

Better is to downsize the drink altogether. Add less milk, try the latte shorter, the cappuccino drier, until you can actually taste the coffee. A double shot is a fine dose of caffeine. (If more caffeine is needed, order another one.)

The Jury is In...

The best way to enjoy espresso cold is over vanilla ice cream. Ancora on King Street has something called the "espresso affogato" and it is delicious. To compare it to a Root Beer Float might somehow diminish it, and it is more of a treat than an everyday thing, but the simple combination of perfectly extracted expresso and creamy ice cream can't be beat.

Truth In Advertising

I was at a Madison coffeeshop this week and ordered a single shot macchiato. When the barista rang it up, he said, "Double Macchiato." Now, usually I don't order singles--I feel like if your machine pulls doubles, double is standard--but when I've already had enough caffeine, and when I want a smaller dose (good for sampling), I'll get a single. Also, a single macchiato is nice, because it is almost always is served in a demitasse cup, whereas a double is sometimes served in a bigger cup which can dwarf the coffee, look a little silly, and basically ruin the aesthetics of drinking espresso.

So I corrected him, saying I only wanted a single. But he protested, saying it was bad coffee karma to waste a shot. I went along with his suggestion, mostly because I like to see how a barista will present a drink in the manner he or she feels is best. I presume he only charged me for a single, but I didn't pay attention to the price total (I think price is the big reason people order a single; that is, if you're looking to save that 30 cents or whatever, you'll order the single).

And I'll admit, I have served double shots when a single was ordered. Never espresso proper, of course, but in lattes or cappucinos. I guess I've felt that I should give a 16 ounce latte all the coffee flavor I can. But more and more, I feel that we (baristas) should be upfront with what we're serving.

I once had a barista tell me his coffeeshop always gave single shot orders both shots because "we like our customers." But wouldn't being completely honest in what you advertise be the best way to show your customers you like them? I mean, that barista did give me a double shot (in a large cup, natch), but then proceeded to blast away any coffee flavor present with a more than healthy pour of scalded, poorly frothed milk, thus taking back any karma earned....