Drop by any corner coffeehouse for a quick pick-me-up and the menu may be a bit overwhelming – especially for those not so well versed in the art of coffee drinks. Unless you’re one of those people who prefer the simple things in life, such as straight black coffee, and would rather not venture into uncharted coffee territory, you can easily gain a basic understanding of and appreciation for specialty coffee drinks. You don’t need to be a barista (that’s a professional coffee maker in case you didn’t know) to understand what you’re ordering at your local bookstore cafe or corner bistro or even learn to make your favorite coffee drinks at home.

There is actually a very extensive list of coffee terms that a coffee aficionado might know, but the average person need only understand a few basic coffee terms. Beginning with the types of coffee drinks most frequently available.

Brewed Coffee

Brewed coffee comes from passing hot water over filtered ground coffee. This is what you most often find served at restaurants and what you will get if you order a coffee. Brewed coffee is best when using 2 tablespoons of fresh, quality coffee to each six ounces of water. Cream and sugar are optional.

Espresso

Espresso is a strong one-ounce shot of coffee made by forcing water through finely ground, tightly packed coffee at high pressure and a high rate of speed. When properly prepared, espresso has a crema formation on the top. Crema refers to the lighter caramel-colored foam “cap” that forms on top as a result of emulsion.

Latte Versus Cappuccino

A cafe latte is a coffee drink prepared with a double shot of espresso (2 ounces) and topped with steam milk and milk foam. A cafe latte is the creamiest coffee drink, made with about a 1:4 ratio of espresso to steamed milk. However, if you are in Italy and order a latte, you will be given only milk.

Cappuccino is a coffee beverage prepared with equal parts espresso, steamed milk, and steamed milk foam. Cappuccinos are often garnished with cinnamon on top. Both the latte and the cappuccino can be enjoyed with whipped cream on top. Some cafes, such as Starbucks, ask if you would like whipped cream, but at other places you may have to specify, as it is not a standard part of how the drink is made.

Cafe Mocha

A cafe mocha is a coffee drink that features steamed chocolate milk poured over espresso. Most places prepare a cafe mocha by adding chocolate syrup to the drink rather than using chocolate milk. This is another coffee drink often topped with whipped cream and sometimes garnished with chocolate sprinkles.

Cafe Breve

Cafe Breve is very similar to a cappuccino except that is prepared with steamed half-and-half rather than milk. A cafe breve is much richer than a cappuccino because half-and-half has a higher fat content than milk. Some bistros may not even offer a cafe breve on the menu because half-and-half takes longer to foam than milk.

Customizing Your Coffee Order

There are several ways you can customize your coffee order. Ordering a double or double shot, increases your espresso serving size two-fold (or more). A double is typically between 2 and 3 ounces of espresso rather than standard one ounce.

Similarly, you can customize the amount of foam in your coffee drink by ordering extra foam or no foam at all. Steamed milk and foam are achieved by forcing steam through a frothing wand, which is submerged into a small pitcher of milk. When milk is steamed it increases in volume, but the foam is achieved by bringing the tip of the wand just to the surface of the milk.

You can further customize your coffee drink by choosing a flavor additive. Amaretto, hazelnut, French vanilla, caramel, white chocolate, and kahlua are popular flavor choices. Typically, the flavor additives are in the form of syrups or creme liquors. When duplicating your favorite coffee drink at home, you can use flavored syrup sold specifically for coffee flavoring or use your favorite flavor extract. Simply add about two tablespoons of your favorite flavoring per 8 ounces of coffee drink for added flavor.

On hot days, try an iced version of your favorite coffee drink. Coffee prepared to your liking and served over crushed or cubed ice is just as refreshing on a sultry summer day as the steaming counterpart is on cold winter days. Just remember to make a slightly stronger coffee to allow for dilution from ice.

While the art of coffee can be far more complicated than just the basic prepared varieties, especially when you get in to the body, brightness and flavor of specific coffee beans and specific grinding and brewing processes. But with an understanding of these basic terms under your belt, specialty coffee drinks become much less intimidating to order or to make at home.

For specific recipes for coffee drinks, check out Mathew Tekulsky’s book Gourmet Coffee, Tea and Chocolate Drinks.

Jennifer Beam is a featured writer for Xomba.com. Read the rest of her work here .