Lungo: Everything You Need To Know
Whether you’re familiar with the coffee drink, Lingo, or not, there are definitely pros to learning about this tasty drink option. Learning a bit more about this drink is crucial to further our coffee education on the journey to find the perfect drink for our preference.
First things first, what does lungo mean? The word lungo is Italian for long. That being said, it gives an inkling of direction to answer the real question we are all asking: what is lungo?
What is Lungo?
This will take a bit more elaborate explanation. A lungo beverage is a style of espresso with a twist from the standard shot. How does it add a twist? Lungo uses twice the amount of water as a typical espresso shot, making the pulling process much longer, up to a minute long total. While a typical espresso shot typically only takes 20-30 seconds total to pull.
As one might assume, double the amount of water also means double the size of the drink compared to a typical shot, so don’t be alarmed when your cup is larger than normal. If you are a fast drinker and can slurp down espresso shots quickly, this may be a good solution to your dilemma.
When it comes to home coffee machines, there are some espresso makers that will have this as an option built into automatic options. However, more than likely, you will need a manual operating espresso maker to perfect the lungo beverage to allow for longer pulling and the right amount of water added.
If you aren’t confident in your barista abilities, you can always run down the road to your local coffee shop to give it a try. All coffee shops should be able to make this drink no problem and can help determine if it’s something you should invest in for a new home coffee maker.
Flavor
So what difference does this make when it comes to flavor? Like any drink, more water means a weaker flavor in terms of bitterness, intenseness, and overall impact of the espresso. This can be a huge pro or a huge con depending on your preference when it comes to the intenseness of your coffee.
Don’t let this fool you, however. There is a big difference between a standard shot of espresso diluted with water and a lungo. The chemical process that occurs during the pulling of a shot is much more complex than simply adding water. This is what makes the flavor of a lungo different from watered-down espresso.
While the drink is weaker in bitterness, it also has a different flavor attached to it while diluted shots are only less bitter. So before you knock it out completely for a less intense flavor, give it a taste to see if you are a fan of the unique flavor it has.
Similar Drinks
More often than not, many people get lungo confused with another form of espresso shot variation called a ristretto. This is the complete opposite of a lungo, however. Instead of doubling the amount of water used for the shot, it’s cut in half.
As one can imagine, this is quite an intense beverage, so be sure to remember the difference between the two. If not, you might end up with an extremely mild or extremely intense cup that you are not anticipating. Remembering lungo and long is always a helpful indicator in distinguishing the two.
Another drink that is often mixed up is an Americano, which is exactly what we referenced earlier at simply adding water to a standard shot of espresso. This dilutes the bitterness while maintaining the same flavor as a typical shot. Another variation of an Americano is a long black where the shot is added to equal parts water rather than adding water into the shot. Either way, it’s important to realize these are different from a lungo.
Conclusion
Overall, the biggest takeaway should be that a lungo is a unique drink in flavor even though it is a type of espresso beverage. Whether you are looking for something to switch up your routine or haven’t been able to handle espresso’s flavor and intenseness thus far, it’s a great idea to give a lungo a try to see if this is your new favorite order.
