Spanish Coffee

What is Spanish Coffee?

In a Spanish restaurant or bar, you may sample a variety of coffee tastes and styles. The following are the most often encountered:

• Café solo is the most popular form of coffee ordered in Spain. Café solo is a tiny glass of robust black coffee poured in a small cup. The excellent quality of the coffee bean and the particular technique in which it is roasted and blended contribute to Spain’s exceptional coffee quality.
• Café con leche is the second most common method to consume coffee, particularly as the day’s first cup. It’s half café solo and half hot milk and comes in a small or tall thin glass. It’s best enjoyed when the milk is poured into a metal jug, then frothed and heated with steam from the espresso machine, ensuring that your coffee is blistering hot!

• Café Bombon – a tiny glass containing condensed milk with a café solo slowly poured in; this is a version of café con leche. It is then combined and has a lovely flavor.
• Café carajillo is a solo café with a tiny amount of brandy. You might even drink rum or whiskey instead. If done correctly, the brandy is ignited first to burn off the alcohol, then the coffee (solo) is added.

The Coffee Culture in Spain

In Spain, coffee is a way of life. To get the day started, most Spaniards drink coffee first thing in the morning with their breakfast. This first cup of coffee is frequently served with hot milk and is referred to as a café con leche.

Then at about 11 a.m., many Spaniards take a break known as the almuerzo. They frequently order a cup of coffee and a little snack such as a bocadillo, a cheese or a ham sandwich prepared from a baguette. Coffee will also be drunk at lunch (comida) and the end of dinner (cena).

Almuerzo is sometimes used for lunch, but merienda is never used for brunch in Spain, always for an afternoon snack.

The History of Spanish Coffee

We typically associate Spanish coffee with a hot pot of coffee spiked with rum or other alcoholic beverage. We topped with whipped cream, but the Spanish impact on the coffee business extends far beyond the ski lodge bar.

Spanish ships transported coffee plants and seeds to many far-flung corners of the globe, where it was not native but where it quickly established itself as a significant growth center. Spanish conquistadors’ descendants landed in Central and South America, planting massive coffee plantations.

Coffee shops in Spain are unlike those in other parts of the world, where anticipated a relaxed, informal atmosphere. Early Arabic coffee sellers tended to undercut Spanish coffee merchants on pricing, resulting in Europe’s most expensive cup of coffee.

Portugal, Spain’s neighbor, had colonies in numerous African coffee-growing regions and exported coffee to Spain at lower costs; nevertheless, the quality was inferior. Some importers preferred to pay higher prices for Arabian coffee.

Are you seeking a more upmarket coffee experience? Look no further. A cup of Spanish coffee is the perfect way to start the day, whether you’re searching for a quick pick-me-up or an excellent location to meet up with friends.  The large variety of Spanish-inspired beverages we provide will give you an unforgettable experience that is both vibrant and appealing while still being elegant and classy.

You can have coffee at our Socarrat’s Spanish bar in NYC or as a part of your meal at any of our three locations. Our team takes great delight in bringing you our unique kind of coffee, different types of desserts and Spain’s fantastic heritage to your table.

If you’re interested to know more about the history of  popular Spanish food in Spain, learn more about Spanish Chorizo, and the best way to enjoy Spanish food.