Cortado – Cup of Jo’s Coffee Review
Enoch's Coffee and Wine House
Photo courtesy of Jo Maldonado.
By JOSEPH MALDONADO/ Staff Writer
How do I end a series of articles about drinking coffees and tea I’ve never drunk before?
By trying the most interesting and wild coffee on the menu, of course.
I’ve already done that, however, when I ordered the staff picks, so I had to settle for the next best thing: a cortado, which is essentially a shot of coffee.
A cortado (at least how they serve it at Enoch’s, where I’ve been trying the drinks) is made up of 2 ounces of espresso and 2 ounces of steamed milk. So it’s nowhere near the size of lattes, which is what I normally drink. Lattes are 2 ounces of espresso, and 8 ounces of milk. This difference in ratio matters the most to the amount of caffeine I’m intaking. When drinking a cortado, you’re supposed to just slowly sip it, and enjoy the hits of strong coffee in small amounts.
The cortado is extremely strong and bitter. Per the barista’s recommendation, I got it with honey and cinnamon to add some sweetness to the regular bitter flavor. Despite these additions, the bitterness is overwhelming. This might actually be the first coffee I don’t enjoy.
I waited a few more minutes before taking a few more sips. My taste buds became more accustomed to the new taste. The honey is a warm addition, but it still feels like I’m drinking straight coffee grounds. I’ve learned that I’m not a fan of bitter coffee, and that lattes, which essentially “water down” the espresso, are much more in my wheelhouse.
Despite my dislike of the taste, the cortado has one incredibly fun attribute going for it: the steamed milk art on the top. I love latte art — I have no idea how to replicate it, but am fascinated by the art form. In my drink, the shape of a small heart floats atop the bitter espresso, providing some visual appeal to the drink.
While I may not love the cortado, it does give me another badge to put on my sash of coffee drinks tried. And that’s what matters — that’s why I’m writing these articles. I do it to continue to open my horizons, learn, and maybe find new things I love along the way. So thank you for joining me in this journey of palette expansion. I hope it’s been a pleasure.
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