During World War II, Allied forces occupied Italy. They stayed there long enough and the American soldiers managed to miss their favorite coffee during the war. For some reason they didn’t like Italian espresso. And the local barista (specialists in making coffee) tried to create a drink that would appeal to the Yankees. As a result, a new type of coffee was born , which they called it - Americano coffee. And it is believed that such a name was given to this drink precisely in connection with the fact that it was invented specifically for American soldiers. But there is another opinion, according to which the name Americano was supposed to humiliate the Yankees. The Italian barista took offense at them for preferring American filter coffee rather than Italian espresso, which was much better in quality.
But all this is history and now Americano knows and loves coffee all over the world. And many coffee lovers consider its taste as well as aromatic qualities to be quite high. Americans prepare this drink in a filter coffee maker at a water temperature of 85 degrees. And it is believed that such coffee contains less caffeine. And Americans, as everyone knows, are very reverent about their health.
But there is a Europeanized method of making Americano coffee. In fact, this is the same espresso, but with the addition of hot water. And in order to get a gentle, without a bitter taste of Americano, you must first brew a classic Italian espresso (14-16 grams of coffee per 100-120 milliliters of water). It is brewed in an espresso coffee machine and boiled (very important) for no more than 25 seconds. Then this drink is simply diluted with hot water, which is heated to 92 degrees. And the volume of water should be equal to the volume of coffee. And coffee, the preparation of which is described above, is called Italian Americano. And it turns out such a drink without foam on the surface. However, the classic Americano does not have such a foam either.
But there are coffee lovers who like to drink American coffee with foam. To do this, it can be prepared in the Swedish way. In this case, first boiling water is poured into the cup, and then espresso is already added to it. And a cup with this boiling water can be put here in the dispenser of the coffee machine, and brew espresso directly into it. With this preparation, the foam on the surface of the coffee will remain, although it will become less resistant and lighter. The remaining parameters of the "Swedish" and "Italian" Americano completely coincide. Although some gourmets believe that the drink prepared in the Swedish way, the taste is softer and more saturated.
And in professional coffee houses there is another, more democratic way of serving American coffee. Here the visitor is brought in a separate cup of espresso and in a separate glass of hot water. And the visitor already decides for himself how he will dilute the drink, and what proportions he will adhere to. Also, some "coffee makers" can spoil the US. This happens when the coffee in the coffee machine is brewing for more than 25 seconds. Such an Americano will be a little bitter and with a burnt aftertaste. But an unpleasant taste is not so bad. Such a drink contains carcinogens, resins and other substances harmful to the body.
And real Americano differs from real espresso in a milder, as well as less bright and concentrated taste. Also, the taste of this drink depends on the type of coffee used for its preparation. Very often, Americano is served with cream or milk. And besides these ingredients, you can safely add flavoring fillers, various spices and even alcohol to such coffee. You can also cook Americano at home, but only if the farm has an espresso machine. In other ways, American coffee is unlikely to succeed.