COFFEE DEFINITIONS

A spicy coffee is one in which the aroma is reminiscent of a spice though no actual spice may be in the coffee.

A balanced coffee is one in which no one attribute overpowers another yet it still displays ample complexity to be engaging.

An "exotic" coffee is one which has a sweet, spicy taste and an unexpected or unusual aroma and flavor.

If a coffee is described as "hard", it is considered a low-grade coffee. However, a "hard bean" is a high-grade Central or South American coffee which matured slowly (densely) in the high mountain elevations.

If you hear that a coffee's taste is "wild", what does that mean? Generally, it will mean that the coffee has a fruity acidity and smooth body similar to a red wine.

Professional coffee tasters use a specially shaped spoon with a deep round bowl called a goute-café similar to the taste-vin of the sommelier (or wine taster).

Cappuccino is a unique milked coffee drink in that it uses both steamed and foamed milk. The drink is a layered drink with equal parts steamed milk, coffee, and foamed milk.

Using the word strong to describe the amount of caffeine in a coffee is an incorrect usage of the term. Instead strong refers to a more darkly roasted coffee.

Café con leche is a Spanish version of cafe au lait -- drip coffee mixed with sugar and heated (not scalded) milk. A Cuban café con leche is a variation of this Spanish drink in which nearly a quarter cup of sugar is placed underneath the grounds of a strong, finely ground espresso coffee, then drip brewed before adding heated milk to produce a strong, sweet coffee.

Tangy is used to describe a coffee's taste when it has a pleasingly sharp acidic fruitiness like found in fine Costa Rican coffees.

Winey is a term for a coffee taste of fruity acidity and smooth body -- a taste remotely similar to what one might experience with a fine red wine.

A coffee's acidity is often misunderstood. Acidity is the true measure of a coffee's ultimate taste. Coffee beans are composed literally of hundreds of chemical compounds. Acidity as a description of coffee, however, relates to the snapiness and life in the taste of the coffee. The full city roast of the Wild Goats' Arabian Mocha Sanani is an excellent example of a fine coffee with a tantalizing acidity that dances on one's palate.

Do you know the difference between the aroma and the bouquet of coffee? The aroma is the smell of brewed coffee while the bouquet is the smell of the coffee grounds only.

Espresso actually refers to four separate things: (1) a brewing method, (2) a blend of beans, (3) a beverage, and (4) the color of a dark roast.

A hard bean is a high-grade mountain grown coffee from Central or South America. Hard beans are produced in a cool climate and thus mature more slowly.

Demitasse in French means "half cup." It is a half-sized, or three-ounce, cup in which espresso is generally served.

Cupping is a process of professional tasters. It is a taste-savor-and-spit process used with coffee at room temperature or colder to determine the taste and quality of the bean.

Café macho is the slang expression in Central and South America for the very highest grade of coffee.

The Brazilian coffee plantation is called a fazenda, and there are nearly a quarter million of them. Brazil produces a third of all the coffee in the world (over 3 billion pounds a year) although the crop is primarily Robusta beans and rarely of the quality to be used in specialty coffees.

"Espresso" is Italian, but originally the meaning came from a French word meaning "expressly for you." (Thus, many coffeehouses in Italy are bars with places to stand, not sit, for a quick espresso.) More current meanings of the word are "made on the spur of the moment" and "made fresh."

Expert coffee masters refer to the taste of Robusta beans as "rubbery."

A "moka" is an easy-to-use, inexpensive, stovetop, steam-pressured coffee brewer that brews at 2 to 3 times the pressure of a drip machine but about ¼ the pressure of an espresso machine.

"Bar" is a measurement of pressure equal to the force of gravity. The ideal pressure for making espresso is 9 bars.

A French Press is a pot with a narrow glass cylinder into which coffee and near-boiling water are placed. Then a meshed screen plunger is inserted. The coffee grounds are allowed to steep for about 3 minutes and then pressed out. Coffee is served from the cylinder.

A "demitasse" is the name of the small porcelain or stoneware cup in which your straight espresso is served.

The terms "excelso" or "supremo" when applied to a coffee are not an indicator of quality, but rather they speak to the size of the bean.

Contrary to popular belief, the essential difference between espresso and coffee is the concentrated flavor and aroma found in espresso, not the caffeine content.

What is a "varietal" coffee? It is an unblended coffee from a specific region or country. Blended coffees are made by mixing one or more varietal coffees.

What is a "brevé?" It is any milk-based espresso drink in which half-and-half is substituted for the milk.

Professional coffee tasters are called "cuppers." These folks will generally taste upwards of thirty samples a day.

What is the difference between coffee and espresso? Espresso is coffee brewed rapidly, or "fast coffee." It is made from Arabica beans usually roasted slightly darker and ground more finely than coffee. It is made one cup at a time and extracted within seconds instead of minutes like coffee.

A traditional Irish Coffee is made from a very dark roasted coffee, Irish whiskey, and brown sugar topped with whipped cream mixed with vanilla and sugar.

An "espresso cafe" serves espresso drinks and at least two meals a day. An "espresso bar" serves drinks and pastries, but no meals.

A Danish Coffee is made from a strong coffee and caraway liqueur. An interesting way to get the amounts of each ingredient correct is to put a clean dime in the bottom of a demitasse cup (a small porcelain cup used for espresso) and pour in the coffee until you can no longer see the dime. Once the dime is no longer visible, pour in the caraway liqueur until the dime reappears. Remove the dime and enjoy!

A "doppio" is a double shot of espresso with a single shot of water.

The names for coffee in 12 European countries: Denmark (kaffé), Finland (kahvi), France (café), Germany (kaffee), Hungary (kavé), Italy (caffé), Netherlands (koffie), Norway (kaffé), Poland (kawa), Portugal (café), Romania (cafea), and Spain (kaffia).

The names for coffee in 9 Asian countries: Cambodia (gafé), China (kafei and kia-fey), India (coffee), Indonesia (kope), Japan (koohii), Laos (kafe), Malaysia (kawa or koppi), Philippines (kapé), and Thailand (kafé).

In many coffeehouses you will find a variety of iced drinks in addition to coffee. Granita (derived from gran bibita in Italian meaning "granular ice soft drink") is one commonly known such drink which was first introduced in Parisian cafés in 1660. Ghiaccio served at Wild Goats is very similar to a Granita beverage.

If you've never tried biscotti with your coffee in the morning, you are missing a special treat. Biscotti, a crunchy twice-baked traditional Italian cookie, is specifically designed for dipping and a favorite in espresso bars throughout the country.

"Sleeper," "harmless," and "nofun" are all terms for espresso drinks made with decaf espresso.

If you order a coffee "with room," you are saying that you want a little less than a full cup so you have room to add cream or milk.

A caffe americano is an espresso with the addition of hot water. This drink has much of the balance and depth of espresso, but with more to sip on.