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Coffee is one of the most popular drinks in the world, but not every country or region enjoys the same type of coffee. With so many different types of coffee drinks available, and different tastes across the globe, it should come as no surprise that not all areas prefer the same beverage.
In fact, what we in America find to be delicious coffee drinks, most other countries find to be way too sweet or diluted. Outside of the United States, most countries prefer more traditional coffee drinks as opposed to those that you would find at coffee shops like Starbucks.
Coffee is an acquired taste to a lot of people, so it should come as no surprise that those people that are exposed to different tastes growing up would favor coffee drinks that are popular in their region. The same goes for food around the world as well. What we opt to eat in the U.S. often does not the way that people from other countries are used to.
Overall Most Popular Coffee Drinks in the World
Without taking into account individual countries and their preference for coffee, let’s take a look at what the most popular coffee drinks in the world, in general, are.
Espresso
The most popular coffee drink in the entire world is espresso. Espresso originates from Italy and is produced by forcing small amounts of boiling water through finely ground coffee beans. This creates a thicker drink than normal coffee and contains a higher level of caffeine.
Espresso is often the basis for a lot of other coffee drinks as well.
Cappuccino
Another extremely popular coffee drink originating from Italy is the cappuccino. This is one of those beverages that is made from espresso but stands on its own. The cappuccino consists of espresso, steamed milk and topped with milk foam served in small cups.
Typically, the drink is made with a single or double shot of espresso and contains more foam than liquid.
Latte
Here we have another espresso-based drink with the latte. A latte is typically espresso with steamed milk, but unlike a cappuccino, there is a 3:1 ratio of steamed milk to espresso.
Americano
If you’re an American traveling overseas and you don’t like the intense coffee flavor that a lot of other countries have, then the Americano is for you. By diluting espresso coffee with water, you’re able to get that more watered-down coffee flavor that Americans are used to.
If you’re truly a coffee lover then you’re probably not going to seek this out, but there are a lot of people in the world that know what they like and can be disappointed if they can’t find something similar while traveling.
Iced Coffee
The iced coffee is easily one of the most popular coffee drinks in the United States. This beverage is a staple at big coffee shops like Starbucks but can also be found at the smaller regional café’s as well. Iced coffee is essentially cold brew coffee poured over ice. You will often find it mixed with milk and sugar, but sometimes you might even find some whipped cream and chocolate drizzled over the top.
Iced coffee is a great way to enjoy coffee during the hotter summer months.
Popular Coffee Drinks of Different Countries
Now that we’ve taken a quick look at the most popular coffee drinks around the world, let’s take a quick look at what the most popular coffee drinks are for certain countries. As we stated above, not every country has the same taste and flavor profiles when it comes to food and drink, so it makes sense that their coffee drinks of choice would be different.
United States – Iced Coffee
Iced coffee can be enjoyed on hot summer days across the U.S. but also on those cold winter days as well. A nice cup of iced coffee in front of a warm fire can taste just as good as an iced coffee on the patio during the summer.
Americans love their iced coffee and love all the different flavors and ingredients that can be used to create their own favorite drink.
Italy – Espresso/Cappuccino
It only makes sense that the country where espresso originated would deem it the most popular coffee drink amongst their citizens. Espresso based drinks like cappuccino, as well as shots of espresso, are available on almost every street corner in Italy. Italy has some of the best espresso in the world and you’d be hard pressed to convince an Italian otherwise.
Turkey – Turkish Coffee
If espresso and Italy seemed obvious, then it should come as no surprise that in Turkey the most popular type of coffee drink is Turkish coffee. Turkish coffee is very finely ground coffee brewed by boiling. The coffee grounds are brought to a boil in a pot called a cezve and is taken off the heat just before boiling over.
Coffee is extremely popular around the world, and it seems like every country has their own way of preparation. Because so many countries have different methods of drinking coffee and different coffees that are the most popular, we couldn’t cover them all in one article.
Stay tuned for upcoming articles where we discuss other countries around the world and what their most popular coffee drinks are.
