S6:E17 - Coffee Smarter:
Is it a Long Black or a Flat White?
Is it a Long Black or a Flat White?
Guest: Siri Simran Khalsa
Role: Executive Director of Coffee
From: Lofty Coffee Company, Southern California
Instagram: @loftycoffeeco & @sdcoffeenetwork
Website: www.loftycoffee.com
Flat White: A flat white is a coffee drink that blends one shot of espresso with microfoam, a steamed milk or milk alternative with small, fine bubbles. It is similar to a latte but smaller in volume and has a thinner microfoam layer. At Lofty Coffee, the flat white is 8oz compared to 12oz for their standard latte.
By having a higher proportion of coffee to milk, the flat white allows the espresso flavor to be the dominant taste, with the steamed milk acting as a flavor and texture accent.
Both Australia and New Zealand claim to be the birthplace of the flat white—Sydney and Auckland, respectively. The drink was introduced and grew in popularity during the early 1980s. However, it was referenced in a British film called Danger By My Side as early as 1962, though there is no certainty as to whether or not they were talking about the same style of drink.
Long Black: The long black consists of two espresso shots with hot water poured over the top.* It is similar to an Americano but features an extra espresso shot to enhance the strength of flavor and aroma. The long black was popularized in New Zealand and Australia.
*At Lofty Coffee, they pour hot water over the top of the espresso to force the shots upwards, creating a fine layer of crema at the top. There is contention in the industry as to which liquid—espresso shots or hot water—should be poured over the top. Other cafes may reverse the recipe.
This weekend I’ll be a guest barista at the San Diego Mountain Biking Association’s annual Trail Fest camp out. My barista skills are a bit rusty, so I’ve been watching some Steady State Roasting videos on Youtube to get up to speed. Especially when I’m camping, I like to use an Aeropress to brew my morning coffee. It creates a rich flavor and makes for easy cleanup.
R!WC Industry Partner Ascend Roasters is launching a new product to check out. They are light or medium roast Cold Brew Starter packs enabling you to brew your own cold potion at home in three-gallon batches. They look like giant tea bags with the right ratio of coffee already ground and measured. There are easy-to-follow instructions on the bag, and the starter pack comes with a 64oz glass jar for brewing. If you don’t need the jar, you can pick up a refill pack.
The cold brew packs are available now on AscendRoasters.com, and stay tuned to their Instagram and Tik-Tok accounts for future new releases. Check out the Cold Brew Starter Packs here.

Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.
Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company • Ascend Coffee Roasters • Marea Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Roasters
Get 15% off First Light Whiskey at Barbank.com with DISCOUNT CODE: RWC
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