I’ve noticed a wide variety of interpretations across the area for what a cortado is.
Updating soon. I’m just registering my NOTE.
I will specifically add an experience to my charts, and clarify any other wording after I’ve slept on it.
My drink & My order
Let me first preface that I will often order an “8oz Quad Shot Breve” …
… “Like a Double Cortado”
Some people are confused. They’re like “A late?”
“Yes, 50:50 espresso:milk/breve er I’ll take the heaviest cream have if thats cool”
Also:
• No, not an americano, like a cortado
• No, not 4 oz of espresso with a splash of half n half; That would be like a macchiato. Just because its in a cortado glass doesn’t make it a cortado
Just give me a quad shot and fill the rest up with the milk to the 8 oz line. Preferably heavy cream, but Breve {Half n Half} will do since many places won’t heat actual cream.
Just because I say “like a cortado” doesn’t undo the very specific “8oz”.
Why word it like that?
Because many places around town don’t have anything smaller than a 12 oz drink. Plus, many either don’t know what a cortado is, or are just recently learning about a cortado. Caveat, some use the term Gibraltar; “Its the same.”
Oh, yes, more places are adding an 8oz cup, but that’s for something else and often, they still don’t have an 8oz late button. Which means I’m paying for 10 oz of milk, and the upcharge for breve assumes that 10+ oz quantity despite only getting 4oz.
No, technically, its not necessarily the same, but then, that’s kind of the reason I’ve decided to write.
{NOTE: Henceforth, I’ll be using the term Cortado unless I’m comparing a Gibraltar}
Part of the reason I ask that way is because everyone’s definition is different, but also because different coffee house price options vary, and the barista’s often change it up figuring out a decent price. After all, an 8 oz drink with only 4oz of milk/cream should not be costing more than a flavored 12 oz drink. With 8-10oz of milk/cream.
That brings me to my first point.
Why is a breve upcharge the same for 4oz of milk as it is for lets say 12oz of milk? That’s a double shot of espresso and either another double shot, or a couple pumps of flavor.
Some places don’t charge extra for Breve on a Cortado, or will automatically make it a breve “Silky Smooth”.
NOTE: If they make quad cortado with the 2 oz of milk and 4 of espresso, I’d mostly be ok with that. I just would clarify next time. However, 4 oz of espresso with a dab of milk is no longer a cortado… Especially if I say 8oz!
Jump to definitions
Cortado/Gibraltar Chart
| Coffee Shop | Milk | Ratio | Cost | Cream Option |
| Goal | Cream Breve | 50:50 | Free 🙂 | |
| Headrush | 2%? | Skim+ of milk Almost a Macchiato | $2.69 | |
| Crow’s Coffee “Gibraltar” | Breve | 50:50 | ||
| Hi-Tides Coffee | ?? | 50:50 {Out of cups so its a macchiato today: Several months} | $4 | |
| Scooters “What’s that” | 2% 1-3 oz of Cream is often free | Ask saying: With Cream: a couple shot glasses of cream “Equal amt of cream” (Default espresso is 3 single oz shots) | Yes will heat heavy cream | |
| Homer’s Coffee House | 4oz | 2.95 | Don’t remember it was 2023, price may now be higher | |
8oz Quad Shot Breve Chart
| Shop | Ordered as | Cost | Cream Ok? | Perfect? |
| Goals | 4oz cream/ 4oz espresso | Cream over breve | ||
| Crow’s | Espresso and steamed milk 8oz hot Extra Shot (4 total) ($1.50) Breve ($1.25) | $4.30+ 2.75 $7.05 Up a nickel in 2024/2025 | Yes, Perfect (Analysis ordering this way saves $1.05 vs 2 cortado’s in one glass) This works, they have an 8oz option | |
| Crow’s | Gibraltar Extra Shot (4 total) ($1.50) | $4.05+1.50 $5.55 | NO: It was “Like a Macchiato” Put 4 shots into a Gibraltar glass with a splash of milk (Only happened ~3 times in 5 years) | |
| Crow’s | Gibraltar Extra Shot (4 total) ($1.50 | $4.00+1.5o $5.50 | Perfect (2023) | |
| Headrush | SmallCafe Latte Breve ($0.75) Xshot ($1.18) | $3.35+$1.93 $5.28 | Perfect p.s. Their cortado is $2.69 but frequently more like a macchiato | |
| Overflow |  Double Shot $1.95 2 1/2 oz. Lone Shot Alternative Milk $0.75 | $1.95 + $1.93 $3.88 | Perfect. Yes, the owner only charged a double shot; It tasted like a quad (I didn’t watch to verify). But they up charged the breve to $0.75 — He reentered it in the register 3 times. | |
| Homer’s | 4 oz espresso – quad$3.50 | $3.50 | Yes: Didn’t say like a Cortado, but “lets make it breve… Not sure if you up-charge on 4oz” | Perfect: They’ve done this simple 4ox quad several times |
| Homers | Breve 12 $4.03 Add shot $0.72 | $4.75 ($4.95 Pre Discount) | 2023 prices (Gave a BYO Mug discount) They must not have had an 8oz See above. They still must not, but they have/had the 8oz cups. | |
Definitions
Cortado:
Definition 1: A double shot of espresso with an equal amount of Milk & Espresso. Heated cooler than typical lattes (should be shootable).
Definition 2: 1oz foamed milk 2oz espresso
(Per Orbit Visual‘s Poster found in multiple local coffee shops; “updated” is still wrong.)
Gibraltar:
Definition 1: Same as Cortado: Equal amount of milk and espresso with half and half to make it silky. (By Crow’s Coffee Kansas City)
Definition 2: A large macchiato with 2oz espresso & 2oz milk. Heated to 130F vs 140F
(By Kaldi’s Coffee Saint Louis)
Macchiato Definition: Espresso with a Dot of Milk
Learning: what gets, er got me
Caramel macchiato et al is a Caramel Late its not just a dab of milk type of macchiato. However, I suppose, its “marked with” as in Caramel drizzle marked vs in the drink, but a lot more than a “macchiato” shot marked/dab.
I know it’s espresso. The system knows its espresso. I don’t see how an expresso slipped in more than once.