The Origins of the Latte in Coffee History

Ever wondered who first thought to mix steamed milk with espresso and call it a ‘latte’? The story isn’t Italian—it’s Viennese, and it begins not in a hip café, but during a 17th-century siege and a daring act of espionage.

The very first latte-style coffee, made by adding large amounts of milk to filtered black coffee, was created in 1683 by Vienna’s Franz Georg Kolschitzky. He used 500 bags of coffee beans left behind by retreating Ottoman troops and adapted the strong, bitter Muslim-style brew for local European tastes.

The Siege That Brought Coffee to Vienna

In 1683, the Ottoman Empire laid siege to Vienna for the second time. The Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I had a pact with Poland’s King Augustus II: if Vienna was attacked, Polish forces would rush to help—but only if someone could get word through the Turkish lines.

That someone was Franz Georg Kolschitzky. A Viennese man who had travelled in the Ottoman Empire, he volunteered to sneak out of the city, speak fluent Turkish to fool the besiegers, cross the Danube, and bring back the Polish army.

His mission succeeded. With Polish and Austrian forces combining, the Ottomans were defeated and fled, abandoning weapons, supplies—and 500 sacks of precious coffee beans that had been meant for their own mobile military cafés.

How a Hero Became a Café Founder

Most Viennese had no idea what coffee beans were. The Ottoman soldiers drank their coffee thick, unfiltered, and extremely bitter, often with the grounds included. The locals found this undrinkable.

Kolschitzky claimed the beans as his reward for saving the city. He opened Vienna’s first coffeehouse, called “The Blue Bottle,” and initially served the same strong, sludgy coffee the Turks drank—but locals hated it.

To adapt, Kolschitzky filtered out the grounds and began adding copious amounts of milk to soften the bitterness and lighten the colour. This new drink was much more palatable to the Christian European palate—and became the prototype of the modern latte.

Why Milk Transformed European Coffee Culture

Unlike the Ottoman tradition of drinking unsweetened, unfiltered coffee black, early Western Europeans wanted a milder, creamier experience. The addition of milk did several things:

• It reduced the overwhelming bitterness of dark, boiled coffee.
• It lightened the intense, near-black colour to something closer to beige or tan.
• It created a smoother, more approachable texture—especially important before the invention of espresso machines and fine filtration.

This milk-added coffee became enormously popular in Vienna and spread across Europe. Though it would take another 200 years for the modern espresso-and-steam milk combination to emerge in Italy, the basic idea had already taken root thanks to Kolschitzky’s adaptation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who first put milk in coffee?

The first recorded person to add milk to coffee in Europe was Franz Georg Kolschitzky in 1683. He did this in Vienna using leftover Ottoman coffee beans, creating a filtered, milk-heavy drink that became the prototype of the modern latte. This was done to suit the tastes of non-Muslim Europeans who disliked the strong, unfiltered, bitter style of Ottoman coffee.

Where was the latte invented?

The latte, in its original milk-and-coffee form, was invented in Vienna, Austria, in 1683 by Franz Georg Kolschitzky. Though the term 'latte' is Italian (meaning 'milk'), the concept of mixing coffee with milk in this way began in Vienna after the Ottoman siege, using beans abandoned by retreating Turkish forces.

Why did Kolschitzky add milk to coffee?

Kolschitzky added milk to coffee to make the strong, bitter, unfiltered Ottoman-style coffee more palatable to Viennese drinkers. The local population was unused to the thick, gritty, and dark Muslim coffee tradition, so filtering out the grounds and adding milk created a milder, lighter, and more familiar tasting drink.

What coffee beans did Kolschitzky use?

Kolschitzky used 500 sacks of coffee beans left behind by the Ottoman army after their retreat from Vienna in 1683. These beans had been intended for the Turks’ mobile military coffee preparation and were of the same type traditionally used in the Muslim world, typically roasted dark and brewed unfiltered.

Did the original latte contain espresso?

No, the original latte-like drink created by Kolschitzky in 1683 did not contain espresso, as espresso machines had not yet been invented. Instead, it was made from filtered black coffee (likely boiled or steeped) with milk added, creating a precursor to modern milk-based coffee drinks like the latte and cappuccino.

When did the modern latte become popular?

The modern latte, made with espresso and steamed milk, became popular in the 20th century, particularly in Italy and later in the United States. However, the concept of mixing coffee with milk originated in 17th-century Vienna with Kolschitzky’s filtered coffee and milk innovation, which laid the groundwork for later developments.

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