# Long Black Source: https://dailyextraction.com/drinks/long-black/ Last updated: 2026-10-21 > A long black is a double espresso poured over hot water, usually 100 to 120 ml, so the crema floats on top. It's the black coffee of Australia and New Zealand. It uses the same ingredients as an Americano, but it's smaller and stronger, and the espresso goes in last. ## At a glance - Chapter: Espresso drinks - Served: Hot - Brewing method: https://dailyextraction.com/methods/espresso/ - Glass: Small cup, 4–6 oz (150 ml) - Also known as: long black coffee ## Ingredients - 100–120 ml hot water, just off the boil (90–96°C) - 1 double shot espresso ## Steps 1. **Heat the water**: Heat water to just below boiling, about 90–96°C. 2. **Water in first**: Pour 100–120 ml of the hot water into a small cup. 3. **Espresso on top**: Brew or pour a double shot of espresso gently onto the water, so the crema stays intact and floats on top. 4. **Serve**: Serve straight away, without stirring. A **long black** is a double shot of [espresso](https://dailyextraction.com/methods/espresso/) poured over a small amount of **hot water**, usually 100–120 ml, so the espresso's **crema** stays intact and floats on top. It's the everyday black coffee of **Australia and New Zealand**. It's made from the same things as an [Americano](https://dailyextraction.com/drinks/americano/), but it's smaller, it tastes stronger, and the espresso goes in last. Here's how to make one and what really separates the two drinks. ## The short version - **Water first, espresso on top**, so the crema survives. - **A double shot over 100–120 ml** of hot water, in Perfect Daily Grind's definition, quoted by Trade. - **Small**: usually 4–6 oz, against 8 oz or more for an Americano. - **Stronger tasting** than an Americano, but no more caffeine for the same shot. - **From Australia and New Zealand**, where it's a staple. ## What's the difference between a long black and an Americano? On paper, the order. In practice, the size. The sources disagree on how much the order matters: | | Long black | Americano | Source | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Order | Espresso poured onto water | Water added to espresso | Food & Hotel Asia; CoffeeGeek | | Crema | Stays intact on top | Mostly broken up and dispersed | Food & Hotel Asia; Trade; CoffeeGeek | | Size | Usually 4–6 oz | Usually from 8 oz, up to 20 | Trade | | Water to espresso | Often 2.5:1 or 3:1 in Australia | 1:1 to 1:6 or more | CoffeeGeek | **Trade dissents** on the order rule: its former baristas made Americanos with the water and coffee in different orders, some always putting the espresso on top, so it finds that "this level of standardization for the Americano has little basis in reality". What reliably differs, it says, is size. CoffeeGeek, for its part, makes its own Americano water-first, "a variation of the Australian long black method but with less water". ## How do you make a long black? 1. **Heat the water** to just below boiling, about 90–96°C, as Food & Hotel Asia suggests. 2. **Pour 100–120 ml** into a small cup. 3. **Brew the double shot onto the water**, or pour it in gently. See our [espresso guide](https://dailyextraction.com/methods/espresso/). 4. **Don't stir.** The crema on top gives the first sips their aroma, and it mixes in as you drink. Trade adds that you can make one at home with a concentrated brewer such as the [AeroPress](https://dailyextraction.com/methods/aeropress/) as well as with an espresso machine. ## What does it taste like? Stronger than an Americano. Because there's less water for the same shot, the coffee-to-water ratio is higher, so the long black tastes stronger, Trade explains, though the caffeine is the same if both use the same double espresso. Food & Hotel Asia describes it as bold and intense, with a slightly bitter edge; keeping the crema adds aroma and depth. If a café has no long black on the menu, Trade suggests asking for an Americano with half the water. ## Where does the long black come from? **Australia and New Zealand**, where both Trade and Food & Hotel Asia call it a staple. Australian Geographic's history of the [flat white](https://dailyextraction.com/drinks/flat-white/) gives a glimpse of its past: in the Italian-run cafés of Far North Queensland's sugar towns, Alan Preston recalls five coffees on the menu, two of them black, the **short black** and the **long black**. When the name was first used, the sources don't say. ## Long black vs other espresso drinks - **[Americano](https://dailyextraction.com/drinks/americano/):** the same idea, usually bigger and milder. - **[Flat white](https://dailyextraction.com/drinks/flat-white/):** the long black's milky partner on Australian and New Zealand menus. - **[Iced Americano](https://dailyextraction.com/drinks/iced-americano/):** espresso with cold water and ice. - **[Cortado](https://dailyextraction.com/drinks/cortado/):** espresso cut with milk instead of water. Explore every drink in the [espresso drinks chapter](https://dailyextraction.com/drinks/espresso-drinks/). ## Words used in this guide - [Crema](https://dailyextraction.com/glossary/crema/): Crema is the golden-brown foam on top of an espresso. - [Brew ratio](https://dailyextraction.com/glossary/brew-ratio/): The brew ratio is the weight of coffee compared with the weight of water, written like 1:16 (1 g of coffee for every 16 g of water). ## FAQs ### What is the difference between a long black and an Americano? Usually two things: order and size. A long black is espresso poured onto water, which keeps the crema; an Americano often has water added to the espresso. Trade says that in practice the main difference is size: a long black is usually 4–6 oz, an Americano 8 oz or more. ### Is a long black stronger than an Americano? It tastes stronger, because there's less water for the same shot. The caffeine is the same if both use the same double espresso, Trade notes. ### Why is the espresso poured on top? To keep the crema. Pouring espresso onto water lets its golden layer of foam float, Trade and Food & Hotel Asia explain, while adding water to espresso breaks it up. ### Where does the long black come from? Australia and New Zealand, where it's a staple. Australian Geographic describes Italian-run cafés in Far North Queensland with two black options on the menu, the short black and the long black, in the story of how the flat white was named. ### Can you make a long black without an espresso machine? Trade says both the long black and the Americano are easy to make at home with an espresso machine or a concentrated brewer such as the AeroPress. ## Sources - [Americano vs long black: what is the difference and which is stronger?](https://www.drinktrade.com/blogs/culture/americano-vs-long-black) - [Long black vs. Americano coffee: what’s the difference?](https://www.foodnhotelasia.com/blog/horeca/long-black-vs-americano-coffee/) - [How to make an Americano](https://coffeegeek.com/guides/howtos/americano-how-to/) - [Who invented the flat white?](https://australiangeographic.com.au/news/2024/04/who-invented-the-flat-white/)