21st Street Coffee and Tea

(At left is an image of a Single Cortado. One shot of espresso (~one ounce) “cut” with an equal amount of steamed milk. Notice the tiny rosette on this 2oz drink. If you order this please do not get it in a paper cup. We’ll serve it in a paper cup, but just be a little sad. Photo by Dominic Demangone)

That Latte Art you just drank took some serious time and effort- let me explain what we’re trying to accomplish when we pour a neat design on the top of your drink.

We practice what is known as “free pour” latte art, where the steamed milk is poured over the espresso in continuous fashion. Another type of latte art, known as etching, actually involves drawing with some sort of implement on the surface of the drink. We’re fanatical about serving our drinks seconds after they’ve been poured so we use the free pour method. Before we train any of our barista the finer details of pouring artwork they must first be able to make a consistently excellent shot of espresso and steam a great pitcher of milk with just the right texture (incorporate just the right amount of air into the milk), sweetness (incorporating air into the milk releases its natural sugars) and temperature (yes, hot, but you do want to drink that now- right?). In other words it has to taste great all the time- the artwork is icing on the cake.

We only pour latte art on latte-style drinks, so no art on those cappuccino (the proper foam for a cappuccino prevents it) or espresso macchiato (a dollop of foam on top of an espresso). We’ve poured art on drinks as small as 2oz (the Cortado- equal parts espresso and steamed milk) or as large as a 20oz latte or mocha. Typical styles of latte art include the rosette (a leaf or flower), heart, and apple, but there are variations on these designs as well. I prefer a nice rosetta because it is challenging to pour a detailed design with many “leaves” and at the same time maintain the correct amount of foam in the drink. A good pitcher of latte-style milk should have a nearly imperceptible “microfoam” that has a sheen and texture similar to wet paint.

Many of the large coffee chains have switched over to fully automatic espresso machines that basically heat the milk without paying much attention to getting the proper texture of the microfoam. As our customers can attest, properly steamed milk with good microfoam actually tastes much richer/sweeter than you would expect “hot milk” to taste. Our job doesn’t get any better than when a customer absolutely loves their drink. If we can add a little “milk art” to the mix- all the better.