How to Order Espresso Drinks Like a Pro

Beth Rankin and Jourdan Aldredge March 9, 2016 10:28AM

What's the difference between a cappuccino and a latte? Is a macchiato really supposed to be filled with caramel and sugary syrup? What the hell is a cortado, anyway?

It's easy to feel overwhelmed when you walk into a coffee shop, and sometimes the three-lattes-deep barista seems a little busy for a drip-by-drip breakdown of their drink offerings. Let's face it: Good coffee isn't cheap (nor should it be), so the last thing you want to leave with is order remorse.

We visited the friendly folks at Cultivar Coffee and asked them to give us a breakdown of what exactly is in the four core espresso drinks, and to show us how they're made. Cultivar recently moved across Peavy Road to set up shop in Goodfriend Package, the new sandwich spot and bottle shop, which means this East Dallas coffee spot is now open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. That's plenty of time for you to find the caffeinated beverage that's right for you.

Cultivar Coffee, 1155 Peavy Road, facebook.com/cultivarcoffee

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Jourdan Aldredge

Beth Rankin is an Ohio native and Cicerone-certified beer server who specializes in social media, food and drink, travel and news reporting. Her belief system revolves around the significance of Topo Chico, the refusal to eat crawfish out of season and the importance of local and regional foodways.

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