What Exactly Is a Mezzo-Mezzo?
Hey everybody!
This is Tom, excited to kick off our new weekly blog posts on all things Saltwater and all things coffee. We’ll be using this space as an opportunity to share fun coffee stories/tips/questions with all of you, or just generally updating you with what’s new in our world.
So here’s what’s new in my world.
I received an order for a MEZZO-MEZZO at the shop yesterday, and wasn’t quite sure what I was dealing with. It’s been a second since I'd flat-out not recognized a drink order, so I thought I’d do a little digging. Some basic Googling revealed that there are two drinks making the rounds with the name MEZZO-MEZZO.
Whatever the name, it’s a delicious drink. If hard-pressed I might say I prefer a cortado (which we serve as a ristretto shot topped with roughly twice the amount of milk), which offers a shade less bite while hardly compromising on flavor at all. But there’s no denying piccolos (or mezzos) are great fun to pour! Trying to get any more than five stacks into a four ounce cup is always a sturdy challenge. My record for today is seven stacks, but I’m sure someone can top that.
I tried one of these out, and it’s fine. It’s basically a slightly less flavorful flat-white. In fact, I’m a little lost as to what the point of this version of the mezzo-mezzo is. Seems to me like you could just order a latte and you’d get a similar flavor profile with less hassle.
But maybe I’m missing something? Maybe one of you has the key that unlocks the mystery of the mezzo-mezzo? Or maybe somebody has a much cooler drink in mind that better deserves the name?
Let us know!
Signing off, for now,
Tom N.
P.S. If you'd like to test out pouring a mezzo mezzo at home, check out our coffee subscription service below. Use discount code "ACE" at checkout to get the first bag on the house!
This is Tom, excited to kick off our new weekly blog posts on all things Saltwater and all things coffee. We’ll be using this space as an opportunity to share fun coffee stories/tips/questions with all of you, or just generally updating you with what’s new in our world.
So here’s what’s new in my world.
I received an order for a MEZZO-MEZZO at the shop yesterday, and wasn’t quite sure what I was dealing with. It’s been a second since I'd flat-out not recognized a drink order, so I thought I’d do a little digging. Some basic Googling revealed that there are two drinks making the rounds with the name MEZZO-MEZZO.
MEZZO-MEZZO #1
This is essentially identical to what we in the Aussie coffee tradition would call a PICCOLO or PICCOLO LATTE, which consists of a ristretto (15-20 mL) shot of espresso topped with a roughly equal amount of steamed milk (in this case the “mezzo-mezzo” or “half and half” of the name refers to the half-espresso / half-milk makeup of the drink).Whatever the name, it’s a delicious drink. If hard-pressed I might say I prefer a cortado (which we serve as a ristretto shot topped with roughly twice the amount of milk), which offers a shade less bite while hardly compromising on flavor at all. But there’s no denying piccolos (or mezzos) are great fun to pour! Trying to get any more than five stacks into a four ounce cup is always a sturdy challenge. My record for today is seven stacks, but I’m sure someone can top that.
MEZZO-MEZZO #2
This is a little weirder. It’s a standard double shot (30 mL or so) of espresso with an equal amount of water added, then about 60 additional mL of milk. In this context the “half and half” refers to the fact that the drink is essentially half-americano / half-latte.I tried one of these out, and it’s fine. It’s basically a slightly less flavorful flat-white. In fact, I’m a little lost as to what the point of this version of the mezzo-mezzo is. Seems to me like you could just order a latte and you’d get a similar flavor profile with less hassle.
But maybe I’m missing something? Maybe one of you has the key that unlocks the mystery of the mezzo-mezzo? Or maybe somebody has a much cooler drink in mind that better deserves the name?
Let us know!
Signing off, for now,
Tom N.
P.S. If you'd like to test out pouring a mezzo mezzo at home, check out our coffee subscription service below. Use discount code "ACE" at checkout to get the first bag on the house!