Melbourne Coffee Experience
A flat white Australian coffee. My personal favorite.
After living in Melbourne, Australia for the past six months, I have grown to appreciate the unique Australian style of coffee. My goal with this post is to outline the Aussie coffee experience and how it differs mostly from the American experience.
The most obvious characteristic about the Australian coffee culture is that there are small cafes on every block. Coffee is an abundant resource here and is often no more than a block away in the city. What’s nice about the Australian coffee shops is that there are several independent cafe’s scattered about the city, meaning you wont find several Starbucks, Coffee Beans, or even Gloria Jeans (the local chain) condensed into the same area. Though Starbucks does exist, I found it pressing to find one. I would say from my experience that the majority of coffee shops are independent. I found this a fantastic characteristic of the culture because it’s easy to try different types of coffee beans and roasts and to try out various baristas and even espresso machines. Because the coffee shops are independent each cafe chooses an espresso machine, which is usually a commercial semi automatic machine. I never encountered a cafe using a commercial super automatic espresso machine except at Startbucks or McDonald’s, called Maccas in Australia. This leads to a wide variety of machines being used at cafes across the country.
The coffee menu may take a little bit to get used to. There is the standard coffee menu throughout Australia. This makes it easy to compare the quality of coffee and the craftsmanship of the barista at different cafes. The standard drinks will look familiar, but with an Aussie twist:
Australian Coffee Menu
Cappuccino: Textured milk extends over the rim to create a “dome.” Sprinkled on top with chocolate powder.
Caffe Latte: Latte art here seems the norm.
Flat White: An Australian invention. Shot of espreso in a ceramic cup with creamy, textured milk poured on top. This drink is not full to the top, hence the ‘flat.’ Less creamy froth on top than a caffe latte.
Caffe Mocha: Chocolate drinking powder dissolved in a shot of espresso with creamy, textured milk on top, similar to a cappuccino. Served with sprinkled chocolate powder on top.
Short Black: One shot of espresso served in a small cup
Long Black: Two shots of espresso served on hot water. Espresso on top of hot water as to not disturb the crema.
Short Macchiato: Shot of espresso served in a short macchiato glass with a dash of milk and two teaspoons of creamy froth spoon on top.
Long Macchiato: Long black with a dash of milk and two tablespoons of creamy froth spooned on top in a ceramic cup.
These main menu items listed above are all espresso based coffee drinks, this is because espresso is standard in Australia. If you’re looking for something close to American drip coffee, the closest relative to the American drip coffee would be the “Long Black.” Australian coffee drinks are all called brown tops, meaning that the coffee is always mixed in with the milk throughout the drink. If you’re ever in Australia I recommend giving the local coffee a go and explore the menu to find your favorites.
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