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Milk variations

Café breve

A latte-style drink made with half-and-half instead of milk.

EspressoHalf-and-half

Where it came from

United States

late 20th century

American espresso bars swapped milk for half-and-half, creating a richer latte-like drink. Breve is simply Italian for short, borrowed for the menu.

Make it at home

Starting recipe

You'll need

Espresso
36 g
Half-and-half
160–200 g
  1. 01

    Build

    Pull a double espresso and steam half-and-half carefully; it foams quickly because of its higher fat content.

  2. 02

    Serve

    Serve immediately and adjust sweetness or dilution to taste.

At a café

Recipes and café sizes vary. Use this as the clearest starting point, then make it yours.