The Coffee Revolution : Seattle Sluice

When overzealous Seattleites brag about their town’s coffee sophistication they call the city “ Latte Land.” There is a reason for this: Seattle coffee drinkers do not simply drink coffee, or even just espresso and cappuccino. The biggest-selling coffee drink there is caffe latte , which in Seattle, comes in hundreds of variations, many of which have never seen Italian soil.

For once, Los Angeles finds itself on the receiving end of a trend. To help the uninitiated, here is a selective glossary of Seattle latte lingo. We aren’t even going to mention the iced variations.

Espresso: a pure, concentrated shot of coffee made by quickly shooting steam through finely ground coffee beans.

Ristretto: a short shot of espresso.

Espresso Doppio: a double shot of espresso.

Macchiato: espresso “stained” with a cap of foamed milk.

Cappuccino: espresso with a thick layer of foamed milk.

Espresso con Panna: espresso topped with whipped cream.

Americano: a shot of espresso diluted with hot water.

Cafe au Lait: term used in France for the coffee drink made of espresso and steamed milk. Often served for breakfast in big, latte -da bowls. In Seattle, where Italian coffee talk is preferred, the term is rarely used.

Cafe con Leche: Cafe au lait in Spanish.

Caffe Latte: espresso with steamed milk. In Seattle, lattes come in short, tall or grande sizes and you can choose whether you want a single, double or triple shot of espresso in the mix. Flavorings (they range from hazelnut and vanilla to kiwi ) are also available and you can choose the type of milk used too. The possibilities are endless.

Latte Macchiato: the cup is filled with steamed milk and foam; a shot of espresso is then poured over to “stain” the milk.

Caffe Mocha: a latte with chocolate, often topped with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles.

Mocha Brive: espresso with chocolate and half-and-half.

Raspberry Mocha: espresso with chocolate and raspberry syrup.

Harmless Foamless: a tall decaf latte with nonfat milk, no foam.

Double-Tall, 2%, No. 2 Foam: two shots espresso with 10 ounces steamed 2% low-fat milk, topped with a half inch of foam.

Nimitz: a 16-ounce latte or mocha made with a triple shot of espresso. Served at the Mukilteo Espresso Co.

Quad Jammer: four shots of espresso.