Long Black
Long black Say long BLAK
A double espresso pulled directly onto about 100–120 ml of hot water. Because the coffee goes in last, the crema floats intact on top. It's shorter and stronger than an americano and the everyday black coffee in Australian and New Zealand cafés.
- ServedHot
- In EnglishLong black (espresso over hot water)
- TastesBalanced, Bold, Bright
About Long Black
A long black is the standard black coffee of Australian and New Zealand cafés. The barista puts a little hot water – usually around 100–120 ml – in the cup, then pulls a double espresso straight on top of it. The finished drink is about 150–180 ml, with an unbroken layer of crema across the surface.
It looks like an americano, but two things are different: the order (espresso into water, not water into espresso) and the amount of water, which is smaller. Pouring the shot last keeps the crema and much of the aroma, and the lower dilution keeps the coffee’s flavour clear and fairly strong without the extra bitterness of a long extraction such as a lungo.
In Australia and New Zealand, a plain espresso is called a short black, so the long black is its “long” cousin. Outside the region it is increasingly found in speciality cafés run by or inspired by Australian and Kiwi baristas.
In the cup
- Crema 10%
- Double espresso 30%
- Hot water 60%
Ingredients
- Freshly ground espresso coffee≈ 14–20 g (double shot)
- Hot water (not boiling)≈ 100–120 ml
- Sugar (optional)to taste
How to make it
You needEspresso machine with double basket, burr grinder, tamper, cup
RatioA double espresso (≈ 40–60 ml) over ≈ 100–120 ml of hot water – roughly 1 part coffee to 2–3 parts water
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Warm the cup and fill it with ≈ 100–120 ml of hot water (around 70–80 °C, not boiling).
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Grind and dose a double shot, then tamp evenly.
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Place the cup of water directly under the portafilter.
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Pull the double espresso straight onto the water – don't brew into a separate glass and pour, or you'll break the crema.
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Serve immediately, unstirred.
Origin & history
The long black’s exact origin is not recorded. Espresso machines spread in Australia and New Zealand after the Second World War, and the long black is usually dated to the espresso bars of the 1950s and 1960s. It is generally described as a local take on the caffè americano – espresso diluted with hot water – adapted by reversing the order and using less water.
As the Australian and New Zealand café scenes grew in the late 20th century, the long black became the standard black coffee on their menus alongside the flat white. More recently it has travelled abroad with antipodean-style cafés in London, New York and elsewhere.
Variations
- Short blacka plain espresso, as it’s called in Australia and New Zealand
- Caffè americanohot water poured onto espresso, usually longer and milder (Italy / USA / worldwide)
- Long black with milk on the sidea common café request (Australia / New Zealand)
- Iced long blacka double espresso over cold water and ice (Australia / New Zealand)
Good to know
Don't stir straight away – take a sip through the crema first; that's the point of making it this way round.
Want it weaker? Ask for “extra hot water on the side” rather than ordering an americano.
A long black is stronger than an americano because it uses less water.
In Australia and New Zealand a single espresso is a “short black”; a long black is almost always made with a double.
