SPAIN
Coffee and the enjoyment of numerous Spanish coffee drinks are an integral part of Spanish life.
According to the FEC (Federación Española del Café – the Spanish Coffee Association), the first Spaniard known to have drunk coffee was the Jesuit monk Pedro Paez. He is said to have discovered the drink in the 17th century during his captivity in what is now Ethiopia. In his memoirs, “Memories of Ethiopia,” he describes the drink as a “dark, bitter brew.” However, it would take more than 100 years before the drink was officially introduced to Spain by the Bourbon dynasty. Ironically, the first café in Spain was opened in Madrid in 1764 by the Italian Gippini brothers. The Spanish quickly recognized the benefits of the drink, and numerous other coffee houses were opened in a short period of time: in Barcelona, La Coruna, Bilbao, Valencia, and Cartagena. In the following years, they spread throughout the country. In 2007, Spaniards consumed around 24,000,000 cups of coffee (source: Federación Española del Café), which equates to a per capita consumption of around 600 cups. Nevertheless, consumption has declined slightly since 2010, falling from just under 4.0 kg (3.2 kg of coffee beans, 0.8 kg of instant coffee) to 3.6 kg (2.9 kg of coffee beans, 0.7 kg of instant coffee).
A CENTURIES-OLD TRADITION
Most coffeehouse chains in major Spanish cities have Italian roots and are frequented by numerous Spanish coffee lovers. Nevertheless, the long-established local coffeehouses with tradition, which have been serving coffee for centuries, still exist.
One of the oldest coffee houses and by far the best known is Café Comercial, which has been in operation since the 1880s and, following its renovation, successfully combines modernity with tradition.
Café Comercial Glorieta de Bilbao, 7, 28004 Madrid
www.cafecomercialmadrid.com
Café Comercial is a café located in Glorieta de Bilbao in the center of Madrid. It is one of the oldest cafés in the city, founded on March 21, 1887, by Don Antonio Gómez Fernández. In the period following the Spanish Civil War, it was a hub for literary discussions and is now a remnant of Madrid's golden age. It was also one of the first cafés in Madrid to employ women. The café has two entrances, one of which has a revolving door and overlooks Glorieta de Bilbao. Large windows offer a view of the Comercial from the street and vice versa. The building has two floors, and on the upper floor there is a chess club, the “Club de Ajedrez Café Comercial,” where chess boards are available at all times. The building was renovated in 1953. It is famous for its hot chocolate with churros, fried dough sticks, and its picatostes (a type of fried bread). The café was closed for extensive renovations from July 27, 2015, to March 27, 2017, and was reopened afterwards.
Café Gijón
Paseo de Recoletos, 21, 28004 Madrid
www.cafegijon.com
Café Gijón (also known as Gran Café de Gijón) is a culturally significant café on Paseo de Recoletos, the main boulevard in the center of Madrid. The café is located opposite the train station of the same name and the Spanish National Library. The front terrace is directly on the Paseo and offers a wonderful view.
Cafetería Glorieta
Plaça d'Alfons el Magnànim, 3, 46003 Valencia
Another café worth mentioning is Cafetería Glorieta in Valencia, which opened in 1957. Due to mismanagement and poor quality, this traditional establishment severely damaged its reputation and lost its clientele. Unfortunately, the café is currently closed, but it is set to reopen.
Café Mauri
Rambla de Catalunya, 102, 08008 Barcelona
www.pasteleriasmauri.com
Barcelona is home to the impressive Café Mauri, founded by Francesco Mauri, which has been serving coffee and chocolate-filled croissants and other exquisite pastries since 1929. Another specialty of the house is homemade candies. The basis of all traditional Spanish coffee drinks is Spanish roasted coffee, Café Torrefacto. Torrefacto roasting is a traditional Spanish method of roasting coffee beans. It differs from other roasting methods in that sugar is added during the roasting process. Significantly more Canephora beans are used, as low-acid coffees are prized in Spain. Fruity, acidic coffees, on the other hand, are not particularly popular in Spain.
Specialty coffee roasters
In the meantime, more and more modern specialty roasters and coffee shops have established themselves that do not offer Torrefacto roasts. > Nømad Coffee Barcelona www.nomadcoffee.es
> Right Side Coffee Barcelona www.rightsidecoffee.com
> Satan’s Coffee Barcelona www.satanscoffee.com
> D-Origen Coffee Roasters Alicante www.dorigencoffee.es
Coffee drinks in Spain
The variety of Spanish coffee drinks invites you to take a closer look at Spanish coffee culture. European coffee culture is the richest and most diverse and deserves more than just Americanized latte macchiato. It is to be hoped that one or two Spanish coffee drinks will soon be available in other European coffee bars. These include:
Café Solo – Spanish espresso
Café solo – or simply café – is the classic Spanish coffee and forms the basis of almost all coffee drinks. It is made from dark-roasted coffee beans with a high Canephora content.
Café Suizo
A café solo with whipped cream.
Café Americano – Spanish filter coffee
When you order a café americano, you get a café largo, which is a café solo diluted with hot water.
Café Cortado – Café solo with hot, frothed milk
A cortado is an espresso with a dash of milk or milk foam. In Catalonia and the Balearic Islands, the cortado is also called tallat (Catalan for “cut”).
Café con leche – Spanish milk coffee
The Spanish version of milk coffee is called café con leche (English: coffee with milk). It is usually made with equal parts espresso and milk, but can also contain up to twice as much hot milk. It is often topped with a little milk foam, but cannot be compared to the cappuccino we know.
Café manchado – the Spanish equivalent of latte macchiato
A manchado is hot milk with a dash of coffee. In Andalusia, it is also called café sombra.
Café bombón: espresso with sweetened condensed milk
Café bombón is a variation of cortado. It is served in a glass and consists of two layers: sweetened condensed milk (leche condensada) at the bottom and café solo on top. This type of coffee is very popular in Andalusia, especially in the province of Almería. Both layers are mixed together with a spoon.
Café cortado leche y leche
The Canarian variation of the bombón. It consists of espresso, hot milk, and sweetened condensed milk.
Café con hielo (also café con tiempo) – coffee over ice cubes
Even in very hot temperatures, Spaniards do not forego their coffee. They order café solo, cortado, or con leche “con hielo” (English: with ice). The waiter brings a glass of ice cubes with the coffee, the hot coffee is sweetened to taste, stirred, and then poured into the ice cube glass.
Café Carajillo – a black coffee with rum, brandy, anise liqueur, or whiskey
In winter, early in the morning, or on rainy days, many Spaniards order a carajillo – a black coffee with a generous shot of brandy. In more upscale cafés, it is served flambéed: sugar and alcohol are mixed together, lit, and then extinguished with the coffee. The Mallorcans prefer to use Amazona liqueur, a rum liqueur with 53% alcohol by volume, for their carajillo. In summer, carajillo is also often drunk with ice cubes, but anise liqueur is usually used instead.
Café Barraquito
A coffee specialty of the Canary Islands is the barraquito, which is drunk on Tenerife, La Palma, and La Gomera. It consists of café solo with sweetened condensed milk, liqueur or rum, frothed milk, lemon zest, and a little cinnamon.
Zaperoco
A small latte with sweet condensed milk, a dash of Licor 43 (orange liqueur), a piece of lemon zest, and a little cinnamon.
Trifásico
Is a cortado with a shot of rum or brandy, similar to a carrajillo.
Azúcar
The beans for this espresso are always roasted using the torrefacto method, which involves adding a lot of sugar to the coffee beans.
#SpanishCoffeeCulture #CoffeeHistory #CoffeeEnjoyment #TraditionAndInnovation #CoffeeLove #EspressoSpain #CoffeeLovers #CaféGijón #CoffeeTradition #SpecialtyCoffee #Torrefacto #SpainAndCoffee
According to the FEC (Federación Española del Café – the Spanish Coffee Association), the first Spaniard known to have drunk coffee was the Jesuit monk Pedro Paez. He is said to have discovered the drink in the 17th century during his captivity in what is now Ethiopia. In his memoirs, “Memories of Ethiopia,” he describes the drink as a “dark, bitter brew.” However, it would take more than 100 years before the drink was officially introduced to Spain by the Bourbon dynasty. Ironically, the first café in Spain was opened in Madrid in 1764 by the Italian Gippini brothers. The Spanish quickly recognized the benefits of the drink, and numerous other coffee houses were opened in a short period of time: in Barcelona, La Coruna, Bilbao, Valencia, and Cartagena. In the following years, they spread throughout the country. In 2007, Spaniards consumed around 24,000,000 cups of coffee (source: Federación Española del Café), which equates to a per capita consumption of around 600 cups. Nevertheless, consumption has declined slightly since 2010, falling from just under 4.0 kg (3.2 kg of coffee beans, 0.8 kg of instant coffee) to 3.6 kg (2.9 kg of coffee beans, 0.7 kg of instant coffee).
A CENTURIES-OLD TRADITION
Most coffeehouse chains in major Spanish cities have Italian roots and are frequented by numerous Spanish coffee lovers. Nevertheless, the long-established local coffeehouses with tradition, which have been serving coffee for centuries, still exist.
One of the oldest coffee houses and by far the best known is Café Comercial, which has been in operation since the 1880s and, following its renovation, successfully combines modernity with tradition.
Café Comercial Glorieta de Bilbao, 7, 28004 Madrid
www.cafecomercialmadrid.com
Café Comercial is a café located in Glorieta de Bilbao in the center of Madrid. It is one of the oldest cafés in the city, founded on March 21, 1887, by Don Antonio Gómez Fernández. In the period following the Spanish Civil War, it was a hub for literary discussions and is now a remnant of Madrid's golden age. It was also one of the first cafés in Madrid to employ women. The café has two entrances, one of which has a revolving door and overlooks Glorieta de Bilbao. Large windows offer a view of the Comercial from the street and vice versa. The building has two floors, and on the upper floor there is a chess club, the “Club de Ajedrez Café Comercial,” where chess boards are available at all times. The building was renovated in 1953. It is famous for its hot chocolate with churros, fried dough sticks, and its picatostes (a type of fried bread). The café was closed for extensive renovations from July 27, 2015, to March 27, 2017, and was reopened afterwards.
Café Gijón
Paseo de Recoletos, 21, 28004 Madrid
www.cafegijon.com
Café Gijón (also known as Gran Café de Gijón) is a culturally significant café on Paseo de Recoletos, the main boulevard in the center of Madrid. The café is located opposite the train station of the same name and the Spanish National Library. The front terrace is directly on the Paseo and offers a wonderful view.
Cafetería Glorieta
Plaça d'Alfons el Magnànim, 3, 46003 Valencia
Another café worth mentioning is Cafetería Glorieta in Valencia, which opened in 1957. Due to mismanagement and poor quality, this traditional establishment severely damaged its reputation and lost its clientele. Unfortunately, the café is currently closed, but it is set to reopen.
Café Mauri
Rambla de Catalunya, 102, 08008 Barcelona
www.pasteleriasmauri.com
Barcelona is home to the impressive Café Mauri, founded by Francesco Mauri, which has been serving coffee and chocolate-filled croissants and other exquisite pastries since 1929. Another specialty of the house is homemade candies. The basis of all traditional Spanish coffee drinks is Spanish roasted coffee, Café Torrefacto. Torrefacto roasting is a traditional Spanish method of roasting coffee beans. It differs from other roasting methods in that sugar is added during the roasting process. Significantly more Canephora beans are used, as low-acid coffees are prized in Spain. Fruity, acidic coffees, on the other hand, are not particularly popular in Spain.
Specialty coffee roasters
In the meantime, more and more modern specialty roasters and coffee shops have established themselves that do not offer Torrefacto roasts. > Nømad Coffee Barcelona www.nomadcoffee.es
> Right Side Coffee Barcelona www.rightsidecoffee.com
> Satan’s Coffee Barcelona www.satanscoffee.com
> D-Origen Coffee Roasters Alicante www.dorigencoffee.es
Coffee drinks in Spain
The variety of Spanish coffee drinks invites you to take a closer look at Spanish coffee culture. European coffee culture is the richest and most diverse and deserves more than just Americanized latte macchiato. It is to be hoped that one or two Spanish coffee drinks will soon be available in other European coffee bars. These include:
Café Solo – Spanish espresso
Café solo – or simply café – is the classic Spanish coffee and forms the basis of almost all coffee drinks. It is made from dark-roasted coffee beans with a high Canephora content.
Café Suizo
A café solo with whipped cream.
Café Americano – Spanish filter coffee
When you order a café americano, you get a café largo, which is a café solo diluted with hot water.
Café Cortado – Café solo with hot, frothed milk
A cortado is an espresso with a dash of milk or milk foam. In Catalonia and the Balearic Islands, the cortado is also called tallat (Catalan for “cut”).
Café con leche – Spanish milk coffee
The Spanish version of milk coffee is called café con leche (English: coffee with milk). It is usually made with equal parts espresso and milk, but can also contain up to twice as much hot milk. It is often topped with a little milk foam, but cannot be compared to the cappuccino we know.
Café manchado – the Spanish equivalent of latte macchiato
A manchado is hot milk with a dash of coffee. In Andalusia, it is also called café sombra.
Café bombón: espresso with sweetened condensed milk
Café bombón is a variation of cortado. It is served in a glass and consists of two layers: sweetened condensed milk (leche condensada) at the bottom and café solo on top. This type of coffee is very popular in Andalusia, especially in the province of Almería. Both layers are mixed together with a spoon.
Café cortado leche y leche
The Canarian variation of the bombón. It consists of espresso, hot milk, and sweetened condensed milk.
Café con hielo (also café con tiempo) – coffee over ice cubes
Even in very hot temperatures, Spaniards do not forego their coffee. They order café solo, cortado, or con leche “con hielo” (English: with ice). The waiter brings a glass of ice cubes with the coffee, the hot coffee is sweetened to taste, stirred, and then poured into the ice cube glass.
Café Carajillo – a black coffee with rum, brandy, anise liqueur, or whiskey
In winter, early in the morning, or on rainy days, many Spaniards order a carajillo – a black coffee with a generous shot of brandy. In more upscale cafés, it is served flambéed: sugar and alcohol are mixed together, lit, and then extinguished with the coffee. The Mallorcans prefer to use Amazona liqueur, a rum liqueur with 53% alcohol by volume, for their carajillo. In summer, carajillo is also often drunk with ice cubes, but anise liqueur is usually used instead.
Café Barraquito
A coffee specialty of the Canary Islands is the barraquito, which is drunk on Tenerife, La Palma, and La Gomera. It consists of café solo with sweetened condensed milk, liqueur or rum, frothed milk, lemon zest, and a little cinnamon.
Zaperoco
A small latte with sweet condensed milk, a dash of Licor 43 (orange liqueur), a piece of lemon zest, and a little cinnamon.
Trifásico
Is a cortado with a shot of rum or brandy, similar to a carrajillo.
Azúcar
The beans for this espresso are always roasted using the torrefacto method, which involves adding a lot of sugar to the coffee beans.
#SpanishCoffeeCulture #CoffeeHistory #CoffeeEnjoyment #TraditionAndInnovation #CoffeeLove #EspressoSpain #CoffeeLovers #CaféGijón #CoffeeTradition #SpecialtyCoffee #Torrefacto #SpainAndCoffee