Coffee Classics: Cortado (Spain)

In the cafés of Madrid and Barcelona, the cortado emerged as a quiet answer to the intensity of espresso. Its name comes from “cortar,” meaning to cut. A shot of strong espresso softened — not drowned — by an equal measure of warm milk.

Unlike the airy cappuccino or the creamy latte, the cortado is about balance, conversation, and restraint. It is the drink of late mornings when the city hums at a steady rhythm, or early evenings when sunlight turns the streets golden and the day begins to settle into itself.

To order a cortado is to say:
“I want strength, but I also want comfort.”
It is Spain’s way of showing that the middle ground can be perfect.

Ingredients

• 18–20 g espresso

• Equal amount of warm milk (not foamed, just gently heated)

Equipment Needed

• Espresso machine

• Small milk pitcher or saucepan

• Cortado glass (100–130 ml)

Method

1. Pull a shot of espresso into a cortado glass.

2. Warm milk gently — it should be hot but not frothy.

3. Pour the milk in equal proportion to the espresso.

4. Give a gentle swirl and enjoy immediately.

Notes

• Milk should not be textured; this separates a cortado from a flat white.

• Traditionally served in a small glass, not a cup.

• Perfect for slow afternoons or early evenings.