Where'd you come from, where'd you go, where'd you come from, Cafe Americano?

The summation of the history of the americano is that Americans are weak and can’t handle true espresso. 

Let’s get some backstory: 

In World War 2, when American soldiers were being stationed in Italy and living among the Italian soldiers, one of the things being rationed was espresso - something the Italian’s can’t seem to live without, and honestly, I get it. However, the Americans were so used to their lighter drip coffee from home that the espresso was too strong for their liking. To accommodate their taste, the Italians began watering down the espresso with hot water, making it light enough for them to fill with milk or sugar without completely diminishing the coffee taste. Thus, the name “Cafe Americano” – literally translated to “American coffee” – was born. Now, if you’re trying to decide between a drip coffee and an americano, the main difference is going to be the taste you’re going for. With a drip coffee, the coffee grounds are infused with the hot water on a large scale, making the flavor a bit more subtle and lighter compared to the americano where the flavor is a lot more noticeable. At Filament, we use one of our favorite blends for the espresso in our americanos: Counter Culture’s Hologram. We highly recommend giving it a try!