What is Americano coffee? (And why you have WWII to thank for it)

By Emily Caldwell Published May 20, 2024

americano coffee — Karolina Grabowska / Pexels

Coffee aficionados love the bold, rich espresso taste of an Americano, but many newer coffee drinkers might find they’re not quite sure what this popular beverage is. The Americano coffee offers a classic espresso taste that is not clouded by added sugar or cream. With so many coffee choices to select in our modern era, from handcrafted lattes to flat whites, the Americano remains a classic — and for good reason. Below, discover how Americano coffee is made and how it came to be one of the most popular coffee drinks today.

What is an Americano coffee?

espresso cup — Chevanon Photography / Pexels

An Americano coffee is simply delicious, made of two simple ingredients: hot water and espresso. Typically, this drink is served with either 1/2 water and 1/2 espresso or 1/2 or 1/3 espresso to 2/3 water. Although the ratio of water to espresso can vary depending on the coffee shop, the foundations of an Americano coffee remain the same no matter where you order it.

Recommended Videos

You can customize your Americano by adding cream, milk, or sugar, but when ordered as standard, it will be served as black. An Americano coffee is traditionally a hot drink, but it can also be served over ice as an Iced Americano. An Iced Americano offers a stronger taste by using espresso instead of coffee as used in an iced coffee.

Origins of the Americano coffee

espresso shot — Olha Ruskykh / Pexels

The origins of the Americano coffee date back to World War II, when American soldiers started getting crafty by trying to come up with coffee concoctions that tasted similar to standard drip coffee served in America. While in Italy, American soldiers found that the very strong Italian espresso served was too strong for their tastebuds. By adding water to espresso shots, soldiers crafted the Americano coffee we know today. The addition of water helped to weaken the espresso just enough for their enjoyment.

How to make an Americano coffee

Cup of coffee with beans on table — Mike Kenneally / Unsplash

An Americano coffee is a great go-to order at nearly any local or chain coffee shop. This drink is perfect for those who enjoy a strong coffee taste without sweetness or creaminess. Not to mention, it’s a great way to get a caffeine boost (although an Americano can be made with decaf espresso too). However, you don’t need to be any kind of experienced barista to make this delicious espresso beverage at home. Here’s how you can easily craft up your own Americano in under 5 minutes, requiring only an espresso maker.

Ingredients

Freshly brewed espresso
Hot water (or cold with ice, if making an Iced Americano)

Method

Brew any espresso roast of your choice in either one, two, or three shots of espresso.
Add boiling water to the espresso in either a 2:1 or 3:1 ratio, depending on taste preferences.
Enjoy your Americano!

Topics

Coffee & Tea

Contributor

Emily is an accomplished freelance journalist with over seven years of experience in food, beverage, health, fitness, and…

Food & Drink

The world’s first ceramic to-go coffee cup is here

Sleek, customizable, and no metallic taste

Created Co. Coffee Mug

After a year of iterating on the design, testing prototypes, and perfecting details, the leading drinkware company, Created Co., has unveiled its latest product: the NOMAD tumbler. This long-awaited product has been carefully designed by passionate members of the coffee community. It offers a ceramic-coated vessel with a color-matched interior and exterior.

The idea behind the innovative ceramic-coated design comes from common complaints by coffee drinkers using to-go cups that leave a metallic taste behind. Using ceramic helps solve this problem and creates a more enjoyable coffee-drinking experience. As such, the NOMAD Tumbler's intelligent design preserves nuanced flavors and aromas in coffee and eliminates interference with natural flavors.

Food & Drink

Can drinking coffee extend your life? New study suggests it may

Is coffee the key to a longer life?

A person sitting at their work desk drinking out of a Starbucks cup.

The fine line between enjoying the right amount of coffee and drinking too much coffee continues to be a challenging concept to master for many coffee drinkers. To add to the dilemma, a new meta-analysis study dove into the research of nearly 85 studies to examine coffee's relationship to portability rates and health indicators. This new study, headed by a team from the University of Coimbra in Portugal, suggests that drinking about three cups of coffee per day could extend lifespan by about 1.84 years per person.

The findings of this study showcase the potential for drinking coffee to protect against chronic diseases, such as Type 2 Diabetes, as well as age-associated diseases, such as stroke, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases. Researchers suggest that the benefits of coffee come from bioactive compounds within the drink known as polyphenols. Polyphenols may offer anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, fighting against the disease. However, the key to taking advantage of these benefits from coffee is "moderate consumption," which generally means around three to five cups of coffee per day for most adults.

Food & Drink

Does coffee dehydrate you? Debunking this common misconception

Understanding coffee's effects

Small coffee cup and saucer

Every coffee drinker has reached a point where they realize they've consumed about three or four cups of coffee and almost no water in a day. At this point, the notion that coffee dehydrates you may run through your head, reminding you to grab a glass of water. While drinking enough water is critical regardless of coffee consumption, the concept that coffee dehydrates you is not entirely true.
The misconception stems from the idea that coffee is a diuretic, which is true. However, are these diuretic effects enough to cause symptoms of dehydration? In this guide, we'll break down everything you need to know about the question, "Does coffee dehydrate you?" Is this common belief made up, or is there some truth to it? Let's explore.
Does coffee dehydrate you?

While coffee is a diuretic, that doesn't necessarily mean it dehydrates you. Coffee's caffeine content increases the amount of urine your body produces, which can increase the amount of fluids you lose. This process creates a mild diuretic effect, helping your kidneys to draw out extra salt and water. However, coffee is made of nearly 95% to 98% water, so the diuretic effects are mild. All in all, this means that the short answer is no, coffee does not dehydrate you.
Developing a tolerance