# List of coffee drinks
Coffee drinks are the prepared beverages made from roasted coffee beans, and the names on cafe menus refer to a drink's coffee base, its milk and water ratios, its foam and temperature, and its place of origin rather than to any single ingredient.[1](https://biodynamic.coffee/blogs/lifestyle/types-of-coffee-drinks) One guide sorts the field into seven families: straight espresso shots, espresso-plus-milk drinks, brewed and filter methods, iced and cold drinks, regional specialties, dessert coffees, and alcoholic coffees.[1](https://biodynamic.coffee/blogs/lifestyle/types-of-coffee-drinks) Most differences between them come down to three variables, the coffee base, the milk ratio, and the temperature, plus geography, because the same name can mean a different drink in a different country.[1](https://biodynamic.coffee/blogs/lifestyle/types-of-coffee-drinks)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Families | Seven: espresso shots, espresso with milk, brewed and filter methods, iced and cold drinks, regional specialties, dessert coffees, and spirited coffees[1](https://biodynamic.coffee/blogs/lifestyle/types-of-coffee-drinks) |
| Caffeine spread | Roughly 15 mg for a café lágrima and 64 mg for a single espresso up to about 300 mg for Cuban coffee; cold brew is around 200 mg and nitro cold brew around 280 mg[1](https://biodynamic.coffee/blogs/lifestyle/types-of-coffee-drinks) |
| Espresso definition | A brewing method that uses pressure to make a small, concentrated coffee, not a kind of bean[2](https://typesofcoffeedrinks.com/) |
| Cappuccino rule of thumb | One third espresso, one third hot milk, one third froth[3](https://www.nespresso.com/us/en/coffee-recipes) |
| Cold drinks distinction | Cold brew is extracted cold over many hours; iced coffee is hot-brewed coffee cooled and poured over ice[4](https://coffeevs.com/) |
| UNESCO recognition | Turkish coffee culture and tradition was added to the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2013[5](https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/turkish-coffee-not-just-drink-culture) |
| US demand | 47% of American adults had specialty coffee in the past day in 2026, above the 42% for traditional coffee[6](https://sca.coffee/sca-news/2026-national-coffee-data-trends-report) |
## Espresso shots and black drinks
The espresso family begins with the single shot. Espresso is a brewing method, not a kind of bean: pressure brews a small, concentrated coffee from finely ground beans.[2](https://typesofcoffeedrinks.com/) A common modern specialty recipe is around 18 g of coffee in and 36 g of liquid out, though dose, yield, and shot time vary by machine, basket, and intended style.[2](https://typesofcoffeedrinks.com/) Longer and larger drinks follow: the ristretto (≈60 mg caffeine) restricts the shot, the lungo (≈90 mg) lets more water through, and the doppio (≈128 mg) is a double shot.[1](https://biodynamic.coffee/blogs/lifestyle/types-of-coffee-drinks) Adding hot water gives the caffè americano of Italy (≈128 mg) and the long black of Australia, while the red eye of the United States (≈160 mg) tops coffee with a shot of espresso.[1](https://biodynamic.coffee/blogs/lifestyle/types-of-coffee-drinks) A scientific comparison of extraction methods has compared espresso, moka, [French press](https://www.edgepedia.org/french-press), cold brew, V60, and [AeroPress](https://www.edgepedia.org/aeropress) side by side, showing that the brew method changes the composition of the same beans.[7](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0963996918308093)
## Espresso with milk
Milk drinks are distinguished by milk ratio and foam. A cappuccino follows the rule of one third espresso, one third hot milk, and one third froth.[3](https://www.nespresso.com/us/en/coffee-recipes) A latte uses more steamed milk for a milder, creamier cup, while a traditional macchiato is espresso with only a mark of milk, and a latte macchiato reverses the construction entirely, adding coffee to milk to produce three layers of froth, espresso, and dense hot milk.[3](https://www.nespresso.com/us/en/coffee-recipes) • [4](https://coffeevs.com/) The flat white, which originated in Australia and New Zealand, is like a smaller latte with a stronger coffee presence, and the cortado of Spain uses equal parts milk and coffee to soften the espresso's acidity and bitterness.[3](https://www.nespresso.com/us/en/coffee-recipes) Additions extend the family: the caffè mocha combines coffee, chocolate, and milk (≈130 mg caffeine), and the affogato pours espresso over ice cream.[1](https://biodynamic.coffee/blogs/lifestyle/types-of-coffee-drinks) • [3](https://www.nespresso.com/us/en/coffee-recipes)
**Naming varies by country.** Guides repeatedly warn that serving size and cafe recipe change the balance of these drinks, so the same order can differ between shops; comparisons are given as typical recipes rather than fixed standards.[4](https://coffeevs.com/) • [2](https://typesofcoffeedrinks.com/) There is no world standard for drink ratios, and cafe practice varies widely.[4](https://coffeevs.com/)
## Brewed and filter methods
Away from the [espresso machine](https://www.edgepedia.org/espresso-machine), drinks are named for the brewer. The list includes drip coffee (≈95 mg), the pour-over associated with Japan, the French press of France (≈107 mg), the AeroPress (≈110 mg), the moka pot of Italy (≈100 mg), the percolator (≈140 mg), siphon coffee from Germany, cowboy coffee, and instant coffee (≈62 mg).[1](https://biodynamic.coffee/blogs/lifestyle/types-of-coffee-drinks) Some preparations are unfiltered, with the grounds left in the cup; [Turkish coffee](https://www.edgepedia.org/turkish-coffee) is the best-known example, and removing the sediment changes the form of the drink.[8](https://www.coffeelabadvisor.com/guides/coffee-types-and-flavors) • [9](https://cafetiere.ch/en/blog/coffee-culture-around-the-world/)
## Iced and cold drinks
Cold service is now a large share of menus. Cold brew is extracted cold over many hours, while iced coffee is simply hot-brewed coffee cooled and poured over ice, and the two differ in acidity and strength.[4](https://coffeevs.com/) On the caffeine list, iced coffee sits around 165 mg, cold brew around 200 mg, nitro cold brew around 280 mg, and Kyoto-style slow drip around 150 mg.[1](https://biodynamic.coffee/blogs/lifestyle/types-of-coffee-drinks) Milk-based iced drinks include the iced latte (≈128 mg), the iced Americano associated with South Korea, the [Greek frappé](https://www.edgepedia.org/frappe-coffee), and Sweden's espresso tonic.[1](https://biodynamic.coffee/blogs/lifestyle/types-of-coffee-drinks)
## Regional specialties
Many drinks carry a single country's name because they belong to a local ritual. Turkish coffee is ground even finer than Italian espresso, brewed with cold water and sugar in a long-handled cezve until foam rises, and served with the grounds in a small cup; the method, not the bean's origin, defines it.[5](https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/turkish-coffee-not-just-drink-culture) Its social tradition was inscribed on UNESCO's intangible heritage list in 2013.[5](https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/turkish-coffee-not-just-drink-culture) Vietnamese coffee (cà phê sữa đá, ≈130 mg) uses condensed milk, which became a signature of the drink whether hot or iced, and [egg coffee](https://www.edgepedia.org/egg-coffee) (cà phê trứng) is a second Vietnamese preparation.[1](https://biodynamic.coffee/blogs/lifestyle/types-of-coffee-drinks) • [10](https://www.cofeapp.com/coffee-culture-around-the-world/) In Ethiopia, coffee or buna is typically drunk at the end of each meal, and the [Ethiopian coffee ceremony](https://www.edgepedia.org/ethiopian-coffee-ceremony) (≈80 mg) has spread with diaspora cafes abroad that host ceremonies for customers.[11](https://apnews.com/article/9a48bbae456ce4243d9d397582ba15bb) Yemeni-style cafes serve qishr, a traditional drink made from the dried husks of coffee cherries; Yemen introduced the world to coffee and monopolized the trade for around 200 years until Dutch merchants smuggled seeds to Indonesia.[12](https://apnews.com/article/72b5d2fdec7375cf476a6881810d8ce6) Other named regional drinks in the 86-drink list include café con leche (Spain), café au lait (France), the galão (Portugal), café de olla (Mexico, ≈95 mg), cafezinho (Brazil, ≈60 mg), South Indian filter coffee (≈90 mg), kopi from Singapore, oliang from Thailand, yuanyang from Hong Kong, café touba from Senegal, and kaffeost from Sweden.[1](https://biodynamic.coffee/blogs/lifestyle/types-of-coffee-drinks)
## Dessert and spirited coffees
Dessert coffees combine coffee with cream, chocolate, or ice cream: the affogato, espresso con panna, the Marocchino and Bicerin of Italy (both ≈64 mg), and the South Korean dalgona (≈190 mg).[1](https://biodynamic.coffee/blogs/lifestyle/types-of-coffee-drinks) • [3](https://www.nespresso.com/us/en/coffee-recipes) Alcoholic versions form their own family, including [Irish coffee](https://www.edgepedia.org/irish-coffee) (≈95 mg), the espresso martini, Spain's [carajillo](https://www.edgepedia.org/carajillo), Italy's caffè corretto, Germany's Pharisäer and Rüdesheimer Kaffee, and Norway's karsk.[1](https://biodynamic.coffee/blogs/lifestyle/types-of-coffee-drinks)
## Demand and menu trends
In the United States, specialty coffee, defined to include espresso-based drinks such as lattes and cappuccinos, cold brew, nitro, and premium traditional coffee, reached 47% past-day consumption in mid-2026 against 42% for traditional coffee, and 69% of 25-to-39-year-olds had specialty coffee in the past week.[6](https://sca.coffee/sca-news/2026-national-coffee-data-trends-report) By September 2026 the figure for past-day specialty coffee rose to 48%, and a record 47% of American adults had an espresso-based beverage in the past week.[13](https://www.ncausa.org/Newsroom/NCA-Coffee-tops-beverage-charts-again-specialty-coffee-hits-new-high?trk=article-ssr-frontend-pulse_little-text-block) Flavorings matter: chocolate, caramel and brown sugar, and vanilla lead, followed by nutty and fruity notes.[6](https://sca.coffee/sca-news/2026-national-coffee-data-trends-report) Banana-flavored coffee and banana matcha hit all-time search highs in 2026, with banana the fastest-growing beverage flavor at restaurants by one market measure.[14](https://www.axios.com/2026/08/19/banana-coffee-matcha-flavor-popular) Menu economics follows the drink type: drip coffee is usually the cheapest item on a cafe menu because it is brewed in batches, while espresso-based drinks cost more because of the extra milk, syrup, and per-cup machine time.[15](https://menupedia.us/coffee-cafe-menus/)
## References
1. [86 Types of Coffee Drinks, Explained (With Chart), Biodynamic Coffee](https://biodynamic.coffee/blogs/lifestyle/types-of-coffee-drinks)
2. [Types of Coffee Drinks: Every Cafe Drink Explained](https://typesofcoffeedrinks.com/)
3. [At Home Coffee Recipes, Nespresso USA](https://www.nespresso.com/us/en/coffee-recipes)
4. [CoffeeVS – Compare Coffee Drinks Clearly](https://coffeevs.com/)
5. [Turkish coffee, not just a drink but a culture, UNESCO](https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/turkish-coffee-not-just-drink-culture)
6. [New Release: 2026 National Coffee Data Trends Specialty Coffee Report, Specialty Coffee Association](https://sca.coffee/sca-news/2026-national-coffee-data-trends-report)
7. [What kind of coffee do you drink? An investigation on effects of eight different extraction methods, Food Research International](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0963996918308093)
8. [Types of Coffee: Every Drink, Roast & Bean Explained, CoffeeLabAdvisor](https://www.coffeelabadvisor.com/guides/coffee-types-and-flavors)
9. [Coffee culture around the world: traditions and rituals](https://cafetiere.ch/en/blog/coffee-culture-around-the-world/)
10. [Coffee Culture Around the World, COFE App](https://www.cofeapp.com/coffee-culture-around-the-world/)
11. [Promoting tradition as well as beans, Ethiopian coffee shops find fans far from home, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/9a48bbae456ce4243d9d397582ba15bb)
12. [Yemen introduced the world to coffee. Now, its coffeehouse culture is booming in the US, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/72b5d2fdec7375cf476a6881810d8ce6)
13. [NCA: Coffee tops beverage charts again, specialty coffee hits new high, National Coffee Association](https://www.ncausa.org/Newsroom/NCA-Coffee-tops-beverage-charts-again-specialty-coffee-hits-new-high?trk=article-ssr-frontend-pulse_little-text-block)
14. [Banana is coffee's new favorite flavor, Axios](https://www.axios.com/2026/08/19/banana-coffee-matcha-flavor-popular)
15. [Coffee, Cafes & Bubble Tea Menus & Prices 2026, Menupedia](https://menupedia.us/coffee-cafe-menus/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Food, customs, and everyday culture › Food, cooking and hospitality › Beverages and drink culture › Coffee and tea › Coffee: drinks, preparation, and science › Coffee (overview and general subjects)*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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