Drip Coffee

When ordering a coffee, you’re getting what many consider the starter beverage. This is the drink that can be made at home or at the cafe. Terms for drip coffee can range from gas station coffee, brewed coffee, or as it’s often called in Europe, filter coffee. However, if you’re in Italy and you order “un caffé” you will get espresso. Since we’re not in Italy, we're going with the accepted American definition of drip coffee which is hot water poured at a steady rate over ground coffee beans. 

In our shops, you can find our signature house blend, Clarksville, brewing daily along with one of our current single origin coffees. We love the Clarksville blend because it offers a ripe cherry acidity, lots of chocolate, and a deep brown sugar sweetness. It also holds up nicely to cream and sugar while also tasting great by itself.

 

Espresso

The next option after a drip coffee would be our espresso based drinks. Simply speaking, espresso is finely ground coffee brewed with high pressure and hot water. The result is a concentrated liquid with the best parts of the coffee bean extracted from the grounds. Perfecting it can be tricky though, which is why you'll often hear baristas talk about “dialing in” their espresso. This means that they're trying to extract a balanced flavor profile that consists of acidity, bitterness and sweetness. These elements must complement one another to produce an even, smooth, and great tasting beverage.

All of our espresso based drinks start with two shots of espresso. A shot is defined as approximately one ounce of espresso, and all of our espresso based drinks are made with two shots, or two ounces, of espresso as is common in most coffee shops.

Espresso is meant to be sipped as it provides you with an intense, yet delicious flavor that should be savored.

We can make a lot of different drinks by mixing espresso and milk (hot or cold) at different ratios. The rest of the drinks listed here are espresso based drinks that can have a variety of flavor based on how much milk or water is added.

 

Americano  

Macchiato  

Thanks to a larger coffee brand, the macchiato has gotten a little confusing over the years. In nearly every specialty and third wave coffee shop along with shops in Europe, you will find what is referred to as the traditional macchiato. The term comes from Italy as macchiato means “marked”. A traditional macchiato is two shots of espresso with a small amount of steamed milk. Our macchiato's start with two shots of espresso and a small amount steamed normally and poured like a tiny latte.

If you’re looking for the sweeter version popularized by the green mermaid, that drink is actually a vanilla latte with caramel drizzle. We’re always happy to make that for you if the traditional macchiato isn’t what you had in mind!

 

Cortado

The next step up from a macchiato, is a cortado. This drink contains equal parts espresso to equal parts milk. It is often served in a 4 to 6 ounce glass allowing for two ounces of espresso and two to three ounces of steamed milk. This drink is fantastic if you really like the taste of espresso, but want a little milk to balance out the flavor.

 

Cappuccino

Cappuccinos have definitely had a variety of definitions in the third wave coffee industry and between Italian coffee and the more Americanized coffee. Our cappuccinos are made with two shots of espresso and four ounces of steamed milk. This is more of a 1:3 ratio of espresso to milk. There also tends to be a little more foam with the cappuccino than with other milk based drinks.

Some people also prefer what might be referred to as a “dry” cappuccino, which has more foam and less steamed milk. Dry cappuccinos were very popular during the second wave coffee era, and the less foamy cappuccinos are more common today in third wave coffee culture.

 

Latte

This is one of the most popular espresso and milk based drinks. Lattes generally have a 1:4 ratio of espresso to milk. For Medici, we offer 12 and 16 ounce based lattes. Our lattes have two shots of espresso, just like our other espresso based drinks. A large size just means more milk unless the request is made for an extra shot. Lattes are also known for having less foam than cappuccinos. Some people may even request a “no foam” latte if they prefer.

Lattes also make really great iced drinks, which is another reason they’re so popular, especially in Austin!

 

Flavored Latte

Here you will find a variety of drinks, most commonly the mocha or vanilla latte. A mocha contains chocolate sauce, two shots of espresso, and milk. All other flavored lattes are similar! They start with the base of espresso and milk, finishing with the flavor of choice! At Medici we offer - chocolate, vanilla, caramel, and sugar free vanilla. Don’t forget to check our seasonal menu for any special flavor lattes we may have!

 

We hope this helped you understand the variety of espresso based drinks we serve at Medici! Our baristas are always happy to help answer any questions you have about the different drinks. As always, our goal is to help introduce everyone to the world of coffee and create a memorable experience.