Types of Fancy Coffee and How to Make Them

If you’ve ever wondered how your favorite café makes that perfect latte or why your homemade cappuccino never quite looks like the one in the shop window, you’re not alone. Making fancy coffee drinks isn’t just about having an expensive machine—it’s about understanding the ingredients, proportions, and techniques that go into each style. This guide breaks down the essentials.

There are at least 14 well-known fancy coffee drinks, each defined by specific coffee-to-milk or coffee-to-other-ingredients ratios, temperatures, and preparation steps. From a 28–30ml espresso pulled in 20 seconds to layered ice drinks and boozy coffees, every style has its own formula.

What Is Espresso?

An espresso is the foundation of most fancy coffee drinks. To make one, you need 7 grams of finely ground coffee, brewed under 9 atmospheres of pressure at 90°C using a pump-driven machine. The extraction time should be around 20 seconds, producing 28–30ml of concentrated coffee. The hallmark of a good espresso is a thick, reddish-brown crema floating on top. Drinking it straight—often with a bit of sugar stirred in—is traditional, and allows you to enjoy intense flavor with less caffeine than other methods.

Milk-Based Fancy Coffees

Latte (Italian Style)

A traditional Italian latte consists of 70% steamed milk, 20% milk foam, and 10% espresso. Unlike a cappuccino, it has much more milk and less foam. Preparation is simple: pour freshly made espresso into nearly boiling milk. There’s flexibility—you can adjust the amount of milk to your taste.

American Latte (Starbucks Style)

This version layers cold milk foam over heated milk and espresso. Specifically, it uses milk heated to 65–75°C, with a final layer of cold foam no thicker than half a centimeter. This is how Starbucks makes its version.

Cappuccino

Unlike a latte, a cappuccino has more foam and less milk. The traditional ratio is one-third espresso, one-third steamed milk, and one-third milk foam. You can top it with cinnamon or chocolate powder to help the foam last longer.

Iced Latte

This drink plays with the principle of liquid density to create visual layers. By controlling ingredient temperatures and densities, you can create various effects. It’s highly customizable based on creativity or mood.

Macchiato

A macchiato is a shot of espresso with just two tablespoons of delicate milk foam added on top. No milk or cream—just foam. It’s meant to be drunk in one sip to fully appreciate its flavor.

Specialty and Themed Coffees

Irish Coffee

This drink blends coffee with Irish whiskey in a heat-resistant cup. The cup is often preheated (sometimes by “roasting” the exterior) to slightly burn off alcohol and enhance flavor integration. Even one glass can have a strong warming effect, whether you drink alcohol regularly or not.

Con Panna (or Confiture)

This is essentially espresso topped with a dollop of whipped cream. The cream can be stirred in or served on the side. In the U.S., it’s common to see the cream simply floated on top of hot espresso.

Viennese Coffee

This Austrian-style coffee features a generous layer of whipped cream and is often topped with multicolored candy sprinkles. It’s served hot, and the traditional method involves drinking it in layers: first the cool cream, then the hot coffee, and finally the sweet syrup. To prepare, sprinkle sugar or rock sugar at the bottom of a warm cup, pour in strong hot black coffee, and top with two scoops of cold fresh cream.

Cold and Unique Preparations

Iced Coffee with Cream Cubes

Rather than using regular ice cubes, this drink uses frozen coffee cubes to chill the drink without diluting it. Pour hot milk with sugar into a glass, then add the frozen coffee cubes and top slowly with cold espresso. The result is a drink with milk foam on top, often garnished with cinnamon.

Mixed Coffee

This is a Vienna-style milk coffee made by combining equal parts coffee and milk. To prepare, brew strong coffee, simmer equal parts milk with a little cream added just before it boils, and pour the milk mixture over the coffee while the foam is still present.

Naples-Style Coffee

A very strong, dark-roasted coffee served hot, often with a slice of lemon on top. It’s designed to be drunk quickly and without looking at it—hence the name sometimes used in the U.S. of “dawn coffee.”

Hot Mocha Java Coffee (Russian Style)

This thick, strong Russian coffee includes hot brewed coffee, melted chocolate, cola, egg yolk, a bit of milk, and sugar. All ingredients are heated and stirred together, then poured into a cup and topped with a spoonful of cream and shaved chocolate.

Indian Coffee

Served in a special two-handled cup, this coffee is made by heating milk, then adding dark roasted coffee and 10 grams of brown sugar just before boiling. A pinch of salt is also added, which enhances the milk’s sweetness. The cup itself is often part of a collectible set.

Turkish Coffee

Made by boiling finely ground coffee with water (and sometimes spices like cinnamon) in a small pot over low heat until it foams. Turkish coffee is unfiltered, so the grounds settle at the bottom. The serving cup is intentionally small—about half the size of a regular coffee cup. After brewing, some add orange juice and honey before drinking.

Frozen Cream Block Coffee

This American-style iced coffee uses frozen milk cubes instead of ice. Hot sweetened milk is poured over coffee cubes, creating distinct layers with milk foam on top. Garnish with cinnamon powder.

Russian Coffee (Same as Mocha Java)

As above: combine hot coffee, chocolate, cola, egg, milk, and sugar, heat and stir, then top with cream and chocolate shavings.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much coffee is used to make a standard espresso shot?

A standard espresso shot uses 7 grams of coffee, extracted under 9 atmospheres of pressure at 90°C for about 20 seconds, yielding 28–30ml of liquid. This is the base for most espresso-based drinks.

What’s the difference between a latte and a cappuccino?

A latte has a 70% milk, 20% foam, and 10% espresso ratio, and contains much more milk than a cappuccino. A cappuccino is one-third espresso, one-third steamed milk, and one-third foam.

How is iced latte different from regular latte?

An iced latte relies on layering based on ingredient density and temperature, often resulting in visual variation. It’s typically served cold with milk and espresso over ice, whereas a regular latte is served hot.

What’s the traditional way to prepare Viennese coffee?

Viennese coffee is made by layering sugar at the bottom of a cup, pouring hot strong coffee over it, and topping with two scoops of cold fresh cream. It’s meant to be sipped in layers: cream, then coffee, then syrup.

Can I make Irish coffee without alcohol?

Yes, Irish coffee can be made with just the coffee and whipped cream layers even if you omit the whiskey, though the traditional version includes Irish whiskey for its warming effect.

Recommended FrontStreet Beans for Milk-Based Coffees

For classic milk drinks like lattes and cappuccinos, try FrontStreet’s Specialty Blend, known for its balanced profile suited to espresso and milk. For a darker roast option, PWN Golden Mandheling offers deep chocolate and herbal notes with a thick body—ideal for traditional espresso. Alternatively, Brazil Queen Manor provides smooth nuttiness and caramel sweetness, working well in lighter milk drinks. Freshly roasted within 5 days · Orders placed before 17:00 ship the same day · Next-day delivery across most of Guangdong Province.