Food - Drink
How WWII Brought About The Invention Of The Americano
By LAUREN ROTHMAN
Among coffee lovers, the “Americano” is a favorite beverage, and though the name "Americano" indicates something American, this coffee drink based on a shot of espresso (or two) that's then diluted with hot water has its origins in Italy during WWII.
The legend goes that American soldiers stationed in Italy encountered bold, concentrated Italian espresso, but, unaccustomed to its intensity, watered it down in order for it to resemble the weaker coffee they knew from home, and the Americano was born.
When specialty coffee shops that often served only espresso drinks began appearing in the 1990s, baristas would prepare Americanos for customers requesting ordinary black coffee, and the drink spread. Now Americanos are enjoyed either black or with milk or half and half, like drip coffee, but with a richer, bolder, and more Italian flavor.