Think you know a thing or two about bean juice? What about your European bean juice? If it wasn’t for these European Countries, that grande, iced, add shot, caramel, light whatchamacallit might not even exist! Could you imagine? So, be thankful, sit back, relax, sip your favorite cup of Joe and take a visual vacation throughout Europe to learn the origin of that lil’ cup of happiness that kisses your lips awake each morning.
COFFEE OF FRANCE
The French Press
- Ingredients: Coarse coffee grounds + a French Press device + hot water +a giant coffee cup
- Other Aliases: Coffee press, press pot, or a coffee plunger (in Australia or New Zealand)
Taste the deliciousness for yourself on a Contiki Trip to France!
COFFEE OF TURKEY
The Turkish Coffee
Fun Fact: Because Turkish coffee is unfiltered, many use the leftover grounds from a finished cup to tell the future in practice called tasseography. Once finished, the cup is turned over and placed on the saucer to cool. Then, the leftover patterns of the grounds are read. This practice can be done on both coffee and tea. Ever heard the expression “read the tea leaves?”
- Ingredients: Very fine coffee grounds + hot water + sugar (optional) + a “cezve”(a tiny copper ewer) + a teaspoon + cardamom (optional)
- Other Aliases: Slight variations of this coffee are called “Greek” or “Cypriot Coffee”
Read the “tea leaves” to see if a Contiki Trip to Turkey is in your future. Or just go and forget about the tea leaves.
ITALY CAFFÈ – THE HOMELAND!
The Latte
- Fun Fact: The true Italian preparation is much different than here in the states. It is almost always prepared at home for breakfast and unlike our version, the traditional Italian caffè latte does not contain any foamed milk. In fact, in Italy this drink is called “caffè latte” or “caffelatte” which means “milk coffee”. If you order a simple “latte” in Italy you will get served a glass of milk – where’s the caffeine in that?
- Ingredients: Espresso brewed on the stovetop of an authentic Italian’s kitchen + warmed milk
- Other Aliases: “Latte” in the United States
The Cappuccino
- Fun Fact: Really the only difference between an Americanize latte and a cappuccino is size. A “latte” is normally much bigger and served in a large clear glass. A cappuccino is much smaller and normally served in a cute cup with a handle. Also, in Italy, a cappuccino actually has milk foam on the top (unlike its latte counterpart). When sipping, raise a pinky for cup balance.
- Ingredients: Espresso + hot milk + milk foam on top + fun optional latte art (although the traditional Italian way is to have a cap of foam not foam art)
The Macchiato
- Fun Fact: Macchiato means “stained” in Italian which is significant because traditionally this drink was prepared with espresso and a small amount of added warmed milk (just enough to stain the espresso). Today, the ingredients are pretty much exactly the same as a cappuccino except that this drink is smaller and has a much stronger taste due to the smaller amount of milk added.
- Ingredients: Espresso + small amount warmed milk (if you’re traditional) or milk foam on top
- Other Aliases: Caffè macchiato, espresso macchiato, macchiato caldo (when served hot), or macchiato freddo (when served cold)
The Affogato (is that gelato in my espresso?) YUM!
- Fun Fact: Everything about this Italian dessert is FUN. In Italian “Affogato” literally means drowned. Want to drown your hunger with one of these delicious pick-me-up treats? We certainly do!
- Ingredients: Gelato (or ice cream if you are in the states) + espresso + an optional shot of Amaretto liqueur
Experience the homeland of many of our modern day favorite coffee drinks on a Contiki Trip to Italy.
COFFEE OF IRELAND
The Irish Coffee
- Fun Fact: Leave it to the Irish to spike their coffee or should Americans be the ones to blame? This “coffee” was actually inspired by a group of American travelers who were first served the delicious spiked concoctions in Ireland. Learn more about the Irish coffee and the origin of
- Ingredients: Hot coffee + Irish whiskey + brown sugar + fresh cream
- Other Aliases: “Liqueur coffee”
Try your luck out with Irish coffee straight from the source with these Contiki trips to Ireland
COFFEE FROM SPAIN
El Café Bombón
- Fun Fact: This drink is always served in a glass for visual affect as the condensed milk will always sink to the bottom. Tres Jolie!
- Ingredients: Equal parts espresso + sweetened condensed milk
- Other Aliases: Yum!
Satisfy your sweet tooth with some delicious sweet coffee (not to mention all the tapas) on one of our Contiki trips to Spain.
COFFEE OF AUSTRIA
Vienna Coffee
- Fun Fact: Austria is known for having a number of coffees with whipped cream added to the top. It’s also quite common for chocolate, cinnamon, or vanilla (or all three) to be sprinkled on the top. Oh. My. Goodness!
- Ingredients: Espresso topped with whipped cream
- Other Aliases: “Schlagobers” or “Melange mit schlag” is the term in Austria for coffee with a whipped cream topper.
Want to learn how to pronounce “Schlagobers” correctly? Ask a cute Austrian on one of our Contiki trips to Austria!
COFFEE OF GREECE
Greek Frappé
Fun Fact: This most popular coffee drink of Greece was invented by accident. During an International drink Fair in Greece a worker was looking for a way to prepare his instant coffee during a break and there was no hot water to be found. So, he mixed his instant coffee with cold water in ice cubes in a shaker and shook up the coffee world forever.
- Ingredients: Instant coffee + sugar + water + ice + optional milk + shaken in a cocktail mixer
- Other Aliases: Café Frappé (when ordering outside of Greece and espresso is used instead of instant coffee)
