Espresso, that concentrated, knock-your-socks-off coffee served in shot form in a tiny cup, has won its way into America’s coffee-loving hearts. Espresso, the Italian word for “fast,” is the preparation method in which water under pressure is quickly forced through a “puck” of finely ground, tamped coffee beans, which extracts the bean’s most flavorful taste components and aromatic compounds.
Italy has gifted the world with amazing food, beverages, fashion and cars, and espresso is often credited to Angelo Moriondo of Turin, Italy, who, according to Smithsonian magazine, was granted a patent in 1884 for “new steam machinery for the economic and instantaneous confection of coffee beverage.” In 1906, Luigi Bezzerra and Desiderio Pavoni made further advancements on the espresso machine and debuted their design at a fair in Milan in 1906. Legend has it that their machine produced espresso coffee that tethered between scalded and bitter, but their efforts helped espresso go mainstream.
Throughout the 20th century, espresso was further tweaked and refined. Achille Gaggia added a lever system that allowed the user to “pull the shot,” pushing the water through the grinds at a higher pressure. This method resulted in crema, that delightful creamy, pale froth that has become synonymous with espresso. In 1961, Ernesto Valente added a motorized pump that is used on many espresso machine designs to this day.
Whether served straight up, or used in lattes and cappuccinos, Americans love Italy’s contribution to our coffee culture. Espresso’s popularity is holding steady: Daily Coffee News noted in its 2018 Coffee Consumer Trends report that, “Last year saw the highest one-year jump in past-day consumption of espresso-based beverages. The number held steady at 24 percent this year.” Over time, we’ve put our own creative twists on espresso beverages with uniquely flavored lattes and even espresso martinis.
Evan Lane, front of house café manager for Valentine Coffee Roasters (5918 W. Vliet St.) believes espresso meets the needs of people who just want to slow down and savor the good things in life, as well as people who need a tasty jumpstart to their day. “It appeals to people that like to be very technical and creative, who like to just stop and pause and communicate. It also helps people who just want to get going and fuel their day,” he said. “We provide the traditional methods that slow people down, as well as quick methods for people who need to get going.”
In addition to pour over coffee, Valentine has traditional espresso shots, lattes, cappuccino and macchiato. “Because we refer to the front of our house as the ‘tasting room,’ we absolutely love it when people just have the product as-is, but having said that, we do have flavor options, all made in-house—a homemade Madagascar vanilla, a homemade dulce de leche caramel sauce, and we make a lavender and ginger syrup.”
The possibilities for espresso seem endless, and every day talented baristas in our city create more options. What’s your favorite way of enjoying espresso?
