Long Black

A long black is a double shot of 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, 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.
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 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 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: the same idea, usually bigger and milder.
• Flat white: the long black’s milky partner on Australian and New Zealand menus.
• Iced Americano: espresso with cold water and ice.
• Cortado: espresso cut with milk instead of water.

Explore every drink in the espresso drinks chapter.