A Newcomer’s Guide to Coffee in Australia

Australia has a unique coffee culture of it’s own that is influenced mostly from the large Italian immigrant population. One of the wonderful things the Italians brought with them is their love of coffee, and you can find some of the best in Sydney.

Recently there has been a boom of local cafes roasting their own coffee and distributing it in the city. The top and best in my opinion are Campos Coffee, Toby Estate and Single Origin. At almost any cafe serving any of these coffee brands you’ll be sure to get a really good cup of coffee.

Because of the strong Italian influence in Australia you will also see many Italian brands of coffee such as Vittoria, Lavazza and Segafredo Zanetti. I tend to favour the Australian coffee brands as they are fresher and local.

They still have the standards (cappuccinos, lattes, mochas and macchiatos) but have added “flat white” to the mix and changed the Americano to a “long black”, or “short black” if you would prefer a stronger cup of coffee.

Now for the double and single shot, that seems to vary from cafe to cafe. I have had someone tell me that a flat white is a double shot always and that a latte and cappuccino are single shots. But that doesn’t hold for all cafes. So if you want a double shot just go ahead and ask for it.

Coffee sizes are usually limited to regular and large, or mug for a large depending on the cafe. If you usually get a double tall skinny latte back in the States, then you’ll be ordering a large skinny latte double shot in Australia. The barista might take it upon themselves to correct your order to a doppio or may say that all their coffees are a double shot. That’s fine just be aware that it varies from cafe to cafe so if you’re particular about how you like your coffee be sure to make it clear.

One thing to note is that regular drip coffee is hard to find, you’ll have to switch to a short black or long black, and they do not have half and half, or cream for that matter at cafes, just milk. You will usually be able to find skim milk, soy and rice milk at most cafes. They do not have 2% milk, instead regular milk is usually “full cream” and will taste a bit heavy. 2% milk has only recently been introduced to Australia.

Originally seen on:
https://www.sydneymovingguide.com/coffee-in-australia/