Be cool. Be caffeinated.
For National Espresso Day, we’re highlighting buzzy, beloved coffee in its desserty-est form: the affogato
Back in 2015, Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti boldly brewed where no person had brewed before, the International Space Station, firing up a zero-G cup of her home nation’s lifeblood: espresso.
Doubtless the days and nights are long during stints in orbit. A shot of Lavazza (the brand used on that historic mission) would surely help, though a standard cup of gravity-borne drip coffee actually packs more caffeine than an espresso.
That said, if you pound it, you will buzz. But I don’t recommend it.
Espresso is meant to be a more refined sipping experience than the average college student may allow for during finals week. It’s a bitter delight, wonderfully creamy (despite having no cream) due to its high fat content. Much of that is captured in the crema, the beautiful, Guinness-like layer of froth atop a perfect pour.
“The temperature and the pressure necessary to make espresso distills the coffee molecules so effectively that you get the crema oils and flavor compounds in drastically higher ratios than in other forms of coffee,” says Quay Hu, founder of Qreate Coffee + Studio in Orlando’s Mills 50 neighborhood.
The name — espresso — comes from an Italian root word meaning “to express” or “press out.” Espresso requires a tremendous amount of pressure; the machine that makes it forces boiling water and steam through tightly packed, finely ground beans. Espresso is the way you make the coffee — not the coffee itself — though some types are better suited than others.
“You can’t really replicate this brew without the machine,” says Landon Worsham, director of coffee at Vespr Coffeebar in Waterford Lakes. Commercial versions run into the thousands, pressing the “puck” of grounds at roughly nine times the atmospheric pressure found at sea level. It’s high food science and highly regarded as we celebrate National Espresso Day (Nov. 23).
Espresso can be an
acquired taste as a straight sip, though. Thankfully, there are an abundance of ways to enjoy it.
“Adding a dairy or nondairy element to complement is popular. We love a good, creative craft espresso drink,” says Hu.
And for those looking to combine the popular, postmeal ritual of coffee and dessert, there’s the affogato.
“An affogato is gelato or ice cream ‘drowned’ in espresso,” Hu explains.
“It’s best to eat while the espresso is still hot.”
At Vespr, says Worsham, “People usually come in and get it at night, like a snack, or after they’ve finished a food item here. You get a little caffeine boost from the espresso, but the flavor is dialed down by the ice cream that it’s paired with and as it starts to melt, it turns into something with a cold cortado or cappuccino kind of flavor. It’s really good, and gives newcomers to espresso a chance to get into its flavor profile.”
In the past, Vespr’s done a Mars Affogato, pairing the brew with red velvet ice cream, “But it works with other flavors, too.” At the moment, they’re doing a simple vanilla with a salted caramel drizzle.
Hu — an internationally published photographer and Sony brand ambassador with a passion for both coffee and community — says the intent at Qreate, a hybrid studio and coffee shop, is for guests to work and network while connecting over coffee. Espresso can help the process.
“It kick-starts the dopamine in your brain, aiding in concentration,” he notes. “And if you feel like you’re slowing down during the day … an espresso can make a big difference in your productivity.”
At the Glass Knife in Winter Park, says brand manager Lance Koenig, the affogato’s definition is up to the customer. “Some say dessert. Some say beverage,” he says. “We simply say YES!”
Here you’ll have your choice of vanilla or chocolate gelato topped with a shot of Onyx Coffee Lab Monarch espresso.
“Dig out your spoon,” Koenig says. “The trick is to eat it before it melts!”
If you go
The Glass Knife: 276 S. Orlando Ave. in Winter Park; 407-500-2253 or theglassknife.com/ ($6)
Qreate Coffee + Studio: 1212 Woodward St. in Orlando; 407-601-1796 or qreatecoffee.com/ ($5)
Vespr Coffeebar: 626 N. Alafaya Trail in Orlando; 407-930-6430 or thevespr. com/ ($6)
Want to reach out? Find me on Twitter or Instagram @amydroo or on the OSFoodie Instagram account @orlando.foodie. Email: amthompson@ orlandosentinel.com. Join the conversation at the Orlando Sentinel’s new Facebook forum, Let’s Eat, Orlando.