Cortado

Cortado comes from the Spanish cortar, “to cut”: a shot of espresso cut with a roughly equal volume of warm, lightly textured milk. The name describes the idea, that the milk cuts the espresso’s intensity without burying it. Total volume is small, usually around 110 to 130 ml, traditionally served in a short glass.

Why it matters: a cortado sits between a macchiato and a flat white. There is more milk than a macchiato but less than a latte or cappuccino, and the milk is barely foamed, so coffee flavor stays forward. If you find a flat white or latte too milky but a straight shot too sharp, this is often the sweet spot.

In the cup: thin, glossy microfoam rather than a thick cap, with the espresso’s body and sweetness clearly readable. A “gibraltar” is essentially the same drink served in a Libbey Gibraltar glass, a name popularized by US specialty cafes. See the cafe menu decoded for how it compares to its neighbors.