Aussie Espresso

Coffee in Australia has been one of the biggest things to get acclimated to. For starters, they don't serve drip coffee. YES, you read correctly. After six days, I am still shocked. Even McDonalds and 7-Eleven advertise lattes and don't serve drip coffee!!!!!! See photo :)

Secondly, they call all of their drinks different names, so Gabe and I are comedic relief when ordering, and we got in the groove after the 2nd or 3rd stop. Common drinks: Cappuccino (steamed milk beneath with frothed milk), Latte (steamed milk below a layer of frothed milk), Flat White (espresso and steamed milk), Mocha (chocolate syrup, espresso and steamed milk), Short Black (Single espresso shot), Long Black (espresso and water).

Thirdly, all espresso drinks are priced the same, and are served in VERY small servings. We have found 9 times out of 10 for the large to be the size of a Starbucks Tall beverage. Haha, so much for Venti .... It's not even served in the country except at Starbucks, which are few and far between. The culture is to go to a cafe as they are all throughout the city and country. The barista even said they wouldn't serve the 16oz espresso except for American influence, as they prefer less milk in their coffee. And, if you were wondering about the $1 advertisement at 7-Eleven, that's for a short beverage, 8 oz!!

Another difference, cafes charge an additional 50 cents to $1 more per item to eat it there otherwise you must say "Take Away." We made the mistake of ordering it to-go so we could walk around but decided last minute to sit down, although no one said anything they were probably thinking silly Americans! They serve lattes in a glass that you and I would grab from the cabinet to put ice water in, I find that interesting!!

I might as well come home poor after spending more money than I could have imagined on coffee and gelato in Australia. They are a value added commodity in hubs book, so frequent stops are definitely part of the itinerary. Plus, with them being so small, we have to get an espresso multiple times a day at $5 a pop, and we enjoy every.sip.of.it!

We are having the time of our lives, soaking up the culture, and more importantly recognize what a blessing this is to experience together. I will always cherish this gift.