Spanish Coffee

An iced cortado is a 5 oz Spanish-style espresso drink: a double shot of espresso poured over equal parts cold milk and a small amount of ice. It’s stronger than an iced latte, smoother than straight espresso, and faster to make than almost any other iced coffee — about 3 minutes. The Reddit thread “Is an iced cortado a thing?” sums up the confusion. Yes, it is. Spain’s most popular café drink (the cortado, “cut” with milk) translates beautifully to ice — it just gets ordered less often because the cup is small and most US chains don’t put it on the menu. At home, it’s the perfect post-lunch espresso drink. ...

Café bombón is a Spanish espresso drink made by layering a single shot of espresso directly over sweetened condensed milk in a small clear glass — in a strict 1:1 ratio. The condensed milk sits at the bottom, dense and sweet; the espresso floats on top, dark and bitter. You watch the layers before you stir, then drink. It is one of the simplest coffee drinks to make at home, and one of the most visually dramatic. ...

Café con leche is espresso (or strong coffee) combined with an equal amount of hot scalded whole milk — usually 1:1 — to create a milky, mellow morning coffee that’s richer than a regular coffee with cream but less diluted than a latte. The name is Spanish for “coffee with milk,” and it’s the standard morning drink across Spain, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and much of Latin America. It sounds simple because it is. The craft is in the milk: traditionally it’s scalded on the stovetop rather than steamed, giving it a slightly thicker, richer texture with a subtle cooked flavor that shapes the entire character of the drink. ...